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Monday, March 22, 2010

Sam Rohrer on Obamacare vote: 'Stunning disregard for the constitutional rights of every American'

State Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-Berks), who is also seeking the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania governor, issued the following statement Monday in response to the approval in the House of Representatives of the health care overhaul bill:
"Last night the world watched the U.S. House of Representatives act with stunning disregard for the constitutional rights of every American, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. What passed under the rally call of civil rights and human dignity was in fact one of the strongest challenges to individual freedom in a generation.

In winning passage for the healthcare overhaul using every unsavory procedural tool, threat and backroom promise, they broke faith with their own pledge of openness and transparency. But far worse than hollow campaign promises is the shame in knowing that public officials who knowingly violate their oath to defend the Constitution, commit an act far more injurious to the public trust than bowing to raw politics.

If and when President Obama signs this unconstitutional healthcare bill into law, the roadmap for Pennsylvania’s legal challenge is clear. From the disintegration of the separation of powers between the state and federal government to the misapplication of the Commerce Clause to the lack of congressional authority to apply a direct tax on citizens, the Congress has given us an obvious framework to oppose this bad law.

As Pennsylvania's governor, I will use the powers of the office to defend the rights of every citizen to make private decisions, like the purchase of health insurance, for themselves. I will vigorously defend the responsibilities of our elected state legislative bodies, under the 10th Amendment to the Constitution, to make decisions about any restructuring of laws that regulate the conduct of health insurance companies and providers. This is simply not the role or right of the federal government.

In my administration, I will never hesitate to defend the constitutional rights of every citizen. This will be my first and highest priority."
For more about Rohrer's campaign for governor, visit http://www.samrohrer.org/

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Let me get this straight: The voters elected Barack Obama President. Mr. Obama campaigned on Health care reform as one of his top priorities. Healthcare reform is part of the Democratic platform and the voters elected a majority of Democrats to both the House and Senate. In a Democracy majority votes pass Bills. The Senate passed their version of Healthcare reform with 60 votes. The House passed its version with 220 votes and then passed the Senate version with 219 votes. And you are saying that somehow the "will of the people" has been ignored and this critical reform has been rammed down our throats? Exactly how does Democracy work in your world, again?
-servops