Former Missouri Rep. Ed Emery today reflected on the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, on a five-to-four ruling with Chief Justice John Roberts casting the swing vote. Emery is running for state Senate in the 31st District comprising Barton, Bates, Cass, Henry and Vernon counties.
“I believe the Supreme Court failed to defend the U.S. Constitution and the people from the tyranny of an overreaching federal government,” Emery said. “Their ruling also flies in the face of the will of the people of Missouri.”
Emery noted that Missouri overwhelmingly rejected Obamacare when voters passed Proposition C in 2010 by a 71 percent majority. Prop C blocked the federal government from requiring the people of Missouri to buy health insurance and banned any punishment for those without health insurance, both central tenets of Obamacare.
“We can mourn the loss of freedom with this ruling,” Emery said, “but we must not give up the fight simply because we have lost the skirmish. We must continue our fight to return to the principles guaranteed in our Constitution.”
Sen. Jane Cunningham, sponsor of the Heath Care Freedom Act, Prop C, noted, “That the U.S. Supreme Court could rule that it is constitutional for the federal government to order American citizens to purchase a product they do not want or need is astonishing and flies in the face of freedoms given by God and recognized by our founding fathers in the Constitution. It is a sad day for freedom, a sad day for our nation. It’s up to Congress now to repeal it and start over.”
Emery pointed to the fact the court was ruling on the constitutionality of a congressionally imposed national health care system as evidence of how far the country has strayed from the vision of our Founding Fathers. “Their purpose in the Constitution was to constrain government because they did not trust it to constrain itself,” he said. “When an ambitious government imposes its will on you, it takes away your freedom — your choice of what is best for you and your family.
“However, many Missourians still recognize that liberty is more precious than security, and I believe the freedoms we are protecting are too important to give up or even to slacken the fight. I want to spend the next four years defending Missourians against such threats to their liberty, and that is why I am running for state Senate in the 31st District.”
Emery pointed out that voters will have another chance for their voices to be heard with an initiative on the November ballot that prohibits the Governor or any state agencies from establishing the Obamacare health insurance exchanges in Missouri without authorization from the legislature.
“It is more critical than ever for voters to get out and vote on November 6th, and pass this ballot measure,” Emery said. “Health care is important, but government control, which removes personal choice and drives up the cost to all taxpayers, is a failed idea.”
I don't understand the loss of freedom comment. The GOP and baggers scream about social programs, about food stamps, about Medicaid don't want to fund it, but let the President suggest that people cover themselves with some form of health insurance to take the burden off the social programs and there is a loss of freedom cry. People are going to have to show some responsibilty for themselves or that is what I hear. I have had people tell me, I'm not going to get health insurance, I am healthy and don't need it. Then others cannot buy at any price. We can't have it both ways. If everyone pays both healthy and ill you share the risk and premiums should go down. The only other choice is government ran health care for all or just let the sick die in the streets.
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