May 10, 2010

Gov Calls on AG to Join Other States Challenging Healthcare Reform

Monique Chartier

I'd like to second this, along with Justin's reservations about "Obamacare". (The gov's office issued this press release a couple of hours ago.)

Governor Donald L. Carcieri today urged Attorney General Patrick Lynch to join 14 other states that have filed a complaint in the federal district court challenging the constitutionality of the federal healthcare legislation citing the new law as “a violation of the equal protection and commerce clauses and the 10th amendment, among other constitutional provisions.” In a letter to the Attorney General, Governor Carcieri writes, “Among the provisions of the recently enacted federal health care legislation is one which forces the citizens of Rhode Island to purchase health insurance and the state itself to form and participate in insurance exchanges; failure to comply can result in substantial fines.”

The Governor called upon the Attorney General to “exercise its discretion to protect our citizens from this unnecessary and probably unconstitutional intrusion of the federal government into the lives of Rhode Islanders whose freedoms to make their own choices about health care should be preserved and protected.”

Governor Carcieri cites the 10th amendment of the United States Constitution, which clearly defines that there are limits to federal powers and places where only the State and its citizens have authority to act.

A critic of the process by which the health care legislation was passed, Governor Carcieri reinforced his concerns that the law will “raise the costs of health care to Rhode Islanders, lower the quality of care, and shift another unfunded mandate on a state already overburdened with budget deficits.”

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Lynch is too much of a political coward. The governor should just file suit and challenge the bill without him.

Posted by: Dan at May 10, 2010 4:32 PM

Dan, do you have information that Lynch really agrees with the governor, and for some reason is too cowardly to agree with him publicly? That seems to be what you are saying. If so, let us see it. Otherwise, you are just blowing smoke.

Please, try to stretch yourself all the way to reasonable common sense.
OldTimeLefty

Posted by: OldTimeLefty at May 11, 2010 9:25 PM

Actually OTL, that is exactly what Lynch said within days after the Obamacare bill was passed and challenged within hours.

Lynch was asked if he were to join in and good old coward said he saw no reason to do so.

Posted by: Roland at May 12, 2010 12:07 AM


Legislation which forces citizens to purchase insurance with the punishment for non-compliance being penalties which include horrific fines and/or imprisonment is tyrannical.

It is despotism. It is fascism for government to couple with a private industry to force the people to purchase a product.

The AG should be recalled.

Posted by: helen at May 13, 2010 9:39 PM
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