31 Jan 2011 Project 21’s Kevin Martin on Latest Obamacare Defeat in Court

Another major court ruling against the Obamacare takeover of American health care was announced today.

Project 21 member Kevin Martin had this to say about this newest blow to Obamacare:

U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson ruled that Congress exceeded its authority by passing an individual mandate requiring all Americans to purchase health insurance. Judge Vinson went so far as to decree that “the entire act must be declared void.”

Conservatives said the individual health care mandate was unconstitutional from the start, since the government has no constitutional authority to dictate what Americans must purchase for their private use.  Liberals sometimes say, for instance, that the federal government can mandate that Americans buy health insurance because states mandate auto insurance must be purchased to operate a vehicle on public roads.  Conservatives, in this case, note that public roads are owned by the public, thus governments can mandate auto insurance.  Individual health care choices, however, are private — not public issues.

This ruling is a victory for the American people.  Government cannot be allowed to force Americans to purchase products — in this case, health insurance — by threat of fine or imprisonment.