Sen. Judson Hill’s Guidelines for Federal Health Care in Georgia Government Passes Senate

Legislation passed the Georgia Senate today (30-16) strictly prohibiting any state department or agency from implementing the recently-passed federal health care measure without providing the Georgia General Assembly with a cost-benefit analysis and the financial impact to the taxpayers. State Sen. Judson Hill (R-Marietta) authored Senate Bill 399 which would require the House and Senate to expressly approve any agency’s plan to utilize the federal plan for its employee’s health care coverage.

“Unlike our Democratic leaders in Washington D.C, Georgia is working on free-market solutions to bring down costs and expand access for many uninsured or underinsured Georgians,” said Hill. “We have worked hard to develop a world-class health care system here in Georgia. Any implementation of the federal plan has the severe chance of undermining our progress towards a better system for Georgians, aside from the fact it infringes on state powers. My bill places a strict set of parameters before any state agency if they decide to go forward with adopting the federal policy without making a significant case before the legislature.”

Hill’s legislation would ban any state department or agency from employing any part of any federal health care reform unless the department or agency first gives a financial report to the General Assembly. The required report would have to include any details federal reform provision requirements, whether the provision has any state waiver, any effects their actions would have on Georgia and its citizens, and the consequences for not complying. SB 399 also directs that state agencies would be able to adopt federal plans if the General Assembly specifically authorizes the federal reform provision in Georgia.

“Regardless of what state agencies decide to do, I will remain strongly committed to providing Georgians true health care reform, adopting free-market principles designed to expand access to quality care, increase choices with a competitive market for health insurance, and keep costs low free of any Federal involvement, said Hill.”

SB 399 will now heads to the Georgia House of Representatives for consideration.

Sen. Judson Hill serves as Chairman of Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee and the Republican Caucus Vice Chairman. He represents the 32nd Senate District which includes portions of Cobb and Fulton counties. He may be reached by phone at 404.656.0150 or by e-mail at judson.hill@senate.ga.gov. 
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Libertarian Party of Georgia Calls For Immediate Action To Protect Georgians From ObamaCare

Yesterday, while many Georgians were relaxing, worshiping, or even sleeping, the United States House of Representatives debated and passed legislation that not only impacts the lives of every American, but also serves as a "bailout" of insurance and pharmaceutical companies.

HR 3590, "The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” passed by a vote of 219 to 212 late Sunday evening. What has come to be known as ObamaCare has an initial price tag of $945 billion over the next 10 years. The bill's supporters claim that it will reduce deficits by $140 billion over that same period, however, they conveniently omit the pending $200 billion Medicare "doc fix," a legislative item which was purposefully left out of the original bill and it's reconciliation amendments to meet cost estimates, while cloaking the true cost of the bill from the American public.

A Congressional Budget Office analysis shows that when ObamaCare and the Medicare "doc fix" are combined, it results in a $59 billion deficit over the first 10 years and a loss of one-half of one percent of gross domestic product in the following 10 years.

ObamaCare forces each individual to purchase a government-approved health insurance plan. If an individual cannot afford the coverage, the plan will be heavily subsidized through the massive tax hikes in the bill and more debt. If an individual refuses to buy coverage, they will be subject to a penalty, and possibly jail time.

Employers do not escape ObamaCare unscathed. All employers with more than 50 employees must offer health insurance to its employees or face a fine. One nationally known corporation has stated that the compliance costs of the legislation will be $100 million in the first year alone.

While Georgia continues to face budget issues after years of overspending, these mandates will force legislators to increase taxes to comply with the $1 billion in unfunded mandates that become the responsibility of the state.

“It is clear Georgia cannot afford President Obama’s health care plan,” says Daniel N. Adams, Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Georgia. “We urge the General Assembly to take immediate action and demand that Georgians be offered choice instead of more government intervention in their lives.”

Jason Pye, Legislative Director of the state party, also encouraged Attorney General Thurbert Baker to join with other states planning legal action against the unconstitutional legislation.

“Now is not the time to sit idly by to score political points with your base. This bill will have consequences for every Georgian and to do nothing is dereliction of duty.”

The Libertarian Party of Georgia fully supports efforts in the state legislature to allow Georgians to opt-out of ObamaCare.
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Libertarian Party opposes health care plan

The Libertarian Party adamantly opposes the health care bill passed on Christmas Eve by the US Senate that is currently being considered in the US House of Representatives. The Libertarian Party calls on the US House to vote down this disastrous plan, and instead to pass laws reducing federal involvement in health care.

Libertarian Party Chairman William Redpath commented, "We oppose this horrible federal government expansion into health care, just as we have consistently opposed all the increased government intrusion into health care proposed by Republicans and Democrats over the years. For example, we vocally opposed the huge Medicare expansion pushed through Congress by Republicans in 2003."

Redpath continued, "It is a virtual certainty that the cost estimates of this legislation are drastically understated. When Medicare Part A started in 1965, the projected cost for 1990 was $9 billion. It turned out to be $67 billion. Should this bill become law, when the debt of the United States government is downgraded by ratings agencies shortly thereafter, it will not be a coincidence. That will increase interest rates, and the entire economy will suffer."

The Libertarian Party Platform says the following about health care: "We favor restoring and reviving a free market health care system. We recognize the freedom of individuals to determine the level of health insurance they want, the level of health care they want, the care providers they want, the medicines and treatments they will use and all other aspects of their medical care, including end-of-life decisions."

The words "health care" and "medicine" are not found anywhere in the Constitution. Accordingly, the Libertarian Party asserts that Congress has no authority to regulate or appropriate money for health care. (The Libertarian Party has consistently argued for decades that the "general welfare" and "interstate commerce" clauses are not generic authorizations for spending and regulation.)

Redpath concluded, "This is a top-down, Washington-mandated control of health insurance and health care in this nation. It is the antithesis of consumer-driven health care, which is what will ultimately be necessary to control health care costs and to provide the best health care for the greatest number of people."

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Pelosi Statement on Chairman Charles Rangel

/PRNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement this morning on Chairman Charles B. Rangel:

"Chairman Charlie Rangel has informed me of his request for a leave of absence from his duties and responsibilities as Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means. I will honor his request.

"I commend Chairman Rangel for his decades of leadership on jobs, health care, and the most significant economic issues of the day."

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