Leaders of the Florida House weighed in late Monday to cheer federal Judge Roger Vinsons ruling that the President Barack Obama-inspired health care law is unconstitutional.
The Republican leadership, which controls 81 of the Houses 120 seats, continues to back the constitutional challenge which Florida launched against the year-old law. When news came down Monday that Vinson ruled against the law, Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, praised the decision.
Today Judge Vinsons ruling affirmed Floridas and 25 other states position that portions of the federal health care act are unconstitutional and a gross misuse of federal authority, said Cannon. The ruling makes it clear that the federal mandate to buy government-defined insurance goes far beyond Congress constitutional power to regulate commerce. The federal government should join the states in finding ways to reduce costs and improve access to care, rather than ordering individuals to purchase benefits they may not want.
Cannon added that the decision would have a significant impact on Medicaid which continues to consume a greater portion of the states budget with each passing year.
The complex set of facts, financial projections, and fundamental assumptions in dispute regarding the impact on state Medicaid programs was a significant obstacle preventing a ruling in favor of the states complaint of being coerced to increase spending, said Cannon. Nevertheless, the order acknowledges that, in the face of the enormous spending power of the federal government, states have little choice but to remain a very junior partner in the Medicaid program. When unprecedented federal funding is combined with a lack of any reasonable method of withdrawal, the states are left with a Hobsons choice.
Fortunately, todays ruling voided the entire law, including the Medicaid provisions, concluded Cannon. When Congress revisits this law, it must address this unsustainable Medicaid situation.
Rob Schenck, R-Spring Hill, who, as chairman of the House Health and Services Committee, will be Cannons point man on Medicaid reform, added his thoughts on what the ruling means for Medicaid.
The Florida Legislature is tackling comprehensive Medicaid reform to ensure that Floridas Medicaid patients and taxpayers are getting the best value possible, said Schenck. Congress should do its part and amend federal Medicaid law to establish a fair federal-state partnership that respects the constitutional requirements and fiscal constraints of each government, rather than expands government coverage we already cant afford.
The Republican partisan leadership in the House also cheered the decision.
Today Judge Vinsons ruling endorsed what Florida and the majority of states have argued -- forcing individual citizens to purchase health insurance is unconstitutional and a gross misuse of federal authority, said Majority Leader Carlos Lopez-Cantera, R-Miami. The individual mandate pushed through by Washington Democrats is a sickening infringement on individual liberties, and it is refreshing to see a second federal court find in favor of the Constitution and the rights of the American people and against the Democrats plan to put government in the middle of every medical decision.
Democrats quickly fired back -- expressing optimism that other judges would uphold the law and calling upon Republicans to fix the law.
Out of concern for thousands of uninsured Floridians, I am deeply disappointed by todays federal court ruling, but I remain confident that federal appeals courts will ultimately uphold the major tenets of the Affordable Care Act, said Mia Jones of Jacksonville, the ranking Democrat on Schencks Health and Human Services Committee. I urge opponents of health care reform to look for ways to work in bipartisan fashion to improve our federal and state health care laws by making them better and more affordable. We made just such progress in Florida in our last legislative session when we crafted a better health care bill than the one originally proposed. We must be committed to providing quality preventative health care for all Floridians or we can expect to continue to pay for these citizens to be served in our emergency rooms at a higher cost.
I share President Obamas belief that it remains unacceptable for this state and nation to go back to the days when insurance companies were able to deny someone coverage simply because of a pre-existing condition, added Jones. Rather than spending public funds attempting to waylay health care reforms in our courts, and instead of refighting political battles of the last two years, I urge our state and national leaders to fix what needs fixing with the Affordable Care Act so that our state and nation can move forward with a better and more equitable system of health care.
Rick Kriseman, D-St. Petersburg, posted on his Facebook page that he thought it was ironic that conservatives -- usually known for opposing judicial activism -- were cheering the decision.
Im waiting for my Republican friends to call out Judge Vinson for judicial activism -- legislating from the bench, noted Kriseman. Better not hold my breath.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
