Florida House Dems Push Back at GOP on Health-Care Ruling

With Republicans in Tallahassee scrambling after the Supreme Court of the United States upheld most of the federal health-care law signed by President Barack Obama in 2010, Florida Democrats are starting to push Gov. Rick Scott to accept the results of the case. Case in point -- House Democratic Leader Ron Saunders, D-Key West, who is in a tough primary contest for a state Senate seat in South Florida.

Governor Scotts administration has refused to accept millions of federal dollars that would have been available to help Floridians get the health care they need, Saunders said on Thursday. In light of today's U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, it is now vitally important that GovernorScott fully and expeditiously implement what has now been upheld as the law of the land.

Saunders is not the only Democrat in the Florida House to push the GOP leadership in Tallahassee on the matter. So did Rep. Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach.

"More than two years ago, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law, Pafford insisted. It stands as the greatest single step in generations toward ensuring access to affordable, quality health care for every American, regardless of where they live or how much money they make.

"This year, I sponsored legislation that would have taken the first step in Florida toward creating a health benefits exchange as is required of our state under the Affordable Care Act, Pafford added. Sadly, arrogance and narrow-mindedness of Floridas current political leadership have left Florida way behind the rest of the country in efforts to provide quality health care.

Outright defiance of federal law by Florida Governor Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi have resulted in the abandonment of millions of federal dollars that would have been available to help Floridians get the health care they need, Pafford concluded. Now, Floridas government must rush to begin planning the exchange and to address the issue of expanding the state Medicaid program to include more of the insured. They should be embarrassed by their conduct in denying Floridas most vulnerable and taxpaying residents the right to health care. Shame on them.

Looks like at least some Democrats in Florida still think they have a winning hand on the health-care law.