Illinois Republicans Call on Illinois to Join States in Challenging Constitutionality of Health Care Reform Bill
Contact: Dave Natonski
202.225.6201
Washington,
Mar 23, 2010 -
Today, Congressman Aaron Schock (IL-18) spearheaded a letter to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan urging her to join other State Attorney Generals in challenging the Constitutionality of H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
The letter was signed by Congressman Don Manzullo (IL-16), Congresswoman Judy Biggert (IL-13), Congressman Peter Roskam (IL-06), Congressman John Shimkus (IL-19) and Congressman Tim Johnson (IL-15).
“The sweeping health care legislation that has been signed into law blatantly violates the commerce clause of the Constitution,” said Schock. “Congress has no authority to require individuals to buy insurance and I strongly believe Illinois should join in the multi-state lawsuit against this health care overreach.”
"This is the first time the federal government has required Americans to buy a product or face fines and possible imprisonment, and it's blatantly unconstitutional. I urge Attorney General Madigan to join with the dozens of other states in challenging this mandate on behalf of the people of Illinois," Manzullo said. "At a time when Illinois schools are laying off thousands of teachers to deal with the state's $12 billion budget hole, this bill would add more than $1 billion in extra Medicaid costs to the state's obligations. It's a disaster for the people of Illinois, and it needs to be struck down in the courts so we can focus on real reform that makes health care more affordable and accessible to Americans."
“These mandates expand the federal government’s role in our health care decisions beyond what is reasonable and acceptable to the millions of Americans who will be asked to bear the burden of this expensive and intrusive legislation,” said U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL-13). “And people across Illinois are looking at the Constitution and rightly wondering if this is what our Founders had in mind. They deserve an opportunity to be heard.”
“The cost of citizenship in Illinois is already high enough: a $13 billion deficit, billions more for a Medicaid expansion, a deep deficit of trust in the State’s institutions, and now a federal mandate that for the first time forces people to buy a government-approved product,” said Roskam. “ This is a serious Constitutional question, and to restore our people’s trust in its representative institutions, our State should lead efforts to see it resolved.”
Click here to read the letter.
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