Deal: Obamacare ruling bodes well for Georgia

Georgia's Gov.-elect Nathan Deal today said that the federal court ruling against Obamacare's mandates bodes well for Georgia's litigation against the law:

"I am encouraged by today's ruling," Deal said. "The people of Georgia can rest assured we will continue to fight as we move forward to ensure that Georgians don't lose their constitutional rights when it comes to choosing their health care. I look forward to working with Attorney Gen.-elect Sam Olens to see that our state continues to fight for the individual rights of Georgians. Our case is partnered with the state of Florida, so today's ruling doesn't directly affect our state's case, but it suggests that our argument is gaining steam in the court system. I do believe our position will win the day when one of these cases reaches the U.S. Supreme Court."

As the ranking member on the subcommittee on health in the U.S. House, Deal was the first member of Congress to publicly say the individual mandate was unconstitutional. Today's ruling backs up his assessment of the legislation's serious flaws.

"The fight against Obamacare in the courts is based on the constitutional rights of Americans," Deal said. "As the next governor of Georgia, I'm not only concerned about the law's encroachment on our rights but also about the crippling cost that this law will place on Georgia taxpayers. We're struggling every day to pay our current bills and keep our schools running efficiently. Adding billions in new health care costs to the state will crunch every priority in state government. We need serious changes to this law. The consequences to Georgia are too severe."