Senator Don Gaetz, Chairman of the Florida Senate Health Regulation Committee, today called on Attorney General Bill McCollum to sue the federal government over the federal health care reform legislation passed yesterday.
“General McCollum has created a coalition of attorneys general from ten states who have carefully studied this issue and properly concluded that this legislation clearly violates the U.S. Constitution and infringes on each state’s sovereignty,” Gaetz said.
The legislation includes an individual mandate, which penalizes any American who chooses not to purchase health care insurance. This is essentially a tax on doing nothing.
“I agree with Attorney General McCollum that the individual mandate is unconstitutional because it applies a tax on non-activity,” Chairman Gaetz said. “Florida is indeed fortunate to have a courageous attorney general ready to take decisive action. This senator stands alongside him.”
Gaetz pointed out that the federal health bill creates more than a million and a half new Medicaid eligibles in Florida on top of the 2.7 million persons now on Medicaid in our state. The additional $6 billion in Medicaid costs will be passed on to taxpayers.
“The State of Florida should file suit in federal court as soon as President Obama signs this bill into law,” Gaetz said. “Bill McCollum is a national leader in opposing legislation that threatens the individual rights of American citizens. He’s exactly the right leader to initiate this action. I will do everything possible in the Florida Senate to support him.”
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