Griffin: Court Ruling a "Monumental Error'
Statement
Congressman Tim Griffin (AR-02) issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to uphold President Obama's 2010 health care law, commonly referred to as ObamaCare:
"I agree with the dissent that ObamaCare is "invalid in its entirety.' In 2009, President Obama said the penalty for not obtaining health insurance is not a tax, but his lawyers argued just the opposite before the Supreme Court. Today's decision is a monumental error and paves the way for one of the largest tax increases in history. While the Court may have found a narrow majority to uphold ObamaCare, the vast majority of hardworking Americans remain opposed to this unprecedented and expensive law that fails to lower costs and increase access to quality health care. I will continue to fight to repeal President Obama's health care law so that we can replace it with patient-centered health care reform that maintains high quality service, empowers consumers, promotes innovation, lowers costs and is supported by hardworking American taxpayers."
In 2009, when President Obama was trying to sell his health care law, he was unequivocal: "for us to say that you've got to take a responsibility to get health insurance is absolutely not a tax increase . Nobody considers that a tax increase."
A recent study produced by the House Ways & Means Committee showed that ObamaCare could actually encourage employers to drop health care coverage and impact more than 10.2 million employees and dependents. In March, the Congressional Budget Office projected the cost of the President's health care law will be $1.76 trillion, almost doubling its original estimate published when ObamaCare was signed into law. Within four years, individuals and families who buy coverage on their own can expect to pay 13 percent more for their insurance, compared to if the law hadn't been enacted at all.
A New York Times/CBS News poll from earlier this month showed that more than two-thirds of Americans hoped the Supreme Court would overturn some or all of the health care law. Less than a quarter said they hoped the Court "would keep the entire health care law in place."
Since January 2011, the House has voted 30 times to repeal all or part of ObamaCare.
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