Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, one of the leading Republican presidential hopefuls for 2016, Tuesday called for a constitutional amendment to push back against President Barack Obamas federal health-care law.
Rubio is drawing on the conservative movement to support his proposed amendment, which supporters have dubbed the Right to Refuse Amendment.
Right-of-center organizations supporting his proposal include Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), the R Street Institute, American Commitment, the Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF) and the National Taxpayers Union (NTU).
The text of Rubios proposed amendment, sponsored in the House by U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., is Congress shall make no law that imposes a tax on a failure to purchase goods or services, which takes direct aim at the mandated benefits enacted by the law.
Obamacare is a disastrous policy that is not only destructive to job creation, it will also unleash the corrupt and scandal-ridden IRS on taxpayers simply for not buying health insurance, said Rubio on Tuesday. We should put our faith in the American people to decide what goods and services they want to buy, not have Congress dictate it and have the IRS empowered to harass Americans to make sure they do it. Lets do everything we can to keep the IRS out of our health care and stop future Congresses from forcing private citizens to spend their hard-earned money on products or services Washington is forcing on them.
Last year, the Supreme Court rejected a constiutional challenge from more than 20 states led by Florida, seeking to repeal the law while the left wing of the court, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, upheld the individual mandate as a tax.
Before a constitutional amendment is ratified, joint resolutions need to pass Congress and head to the states. When three-fourths of the states approve, the amendment is added to the Constitution.
With Democrats in control of the U.S. Senate, Rubios measure has no chance of passing that chamber -- though Rubio could be looking to score political points with Republicans who remain strongly opposed to the health-care law. While Rubio has been attacked by conservatives in recent weeks over his push for immigration reform, Palazzo had kind words for the junior senator from Florida on Tuesday.
Senator Rubio has been a consistent defender of individual liberty, and Im proud to have his support in championing this cause, he said. Just as the IRS has no business punishing organizations based on political beliefs, the government has no business telling individuals how they should spend their hard-earned money. How can Americans feel confident about Obamacare going forward if they cant even trust the agency tasked with enforcing this massive law? That is why Right to Refuse is so important. It would take the power out of the hands of the IRS and place it back in the hands of the American people.
Tallahassee political writer Jeff Henderson wrote this story exclusively for Sunshine State News.
