Constitutional amendment on health care fails in House
Voting largely on party lines, the state House defeated a constitutional amendment Monday saying Georgians should not be forced to be part of national health care reform.
The measure required 120 affirmative votes, but received only 111 after two hours of debate.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Calvin Hill (R-Canton) immediately requested that the House reconsider the vote.
“A yes vote means you are standing up for your constituents and protecting them from an unfunded mandate from the federal government,” Hill said moments before the vote.
House Resolution 1086 would have put on the ballot this question:
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Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide that no law or rule or regulation shall compel any person, employer, or health care provider to participate in any health care system and to authorize persons and employers to pay directly for lawful health care services without penalties or fines?”
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14 comments Add your comment
Audrey in Georgia
March 22nd, 2010
4:38 pm
More republican losers!
Byron Mathison Kerr
March 22nd, 2010
4:44 pm
How fortunate! The last thing we need is to drag this health care reform brouhaha into our state politics. It is a waste of time — precious time, that is — that should be used to address the many real problems at the state level..
MARCUS CLEMENTS
March 22nd, 2010
6:55 pm
how can I find how each representative voted?
Craig
March 23rd, 2010
5:12 am
Where do these guys come from? and what makes them think that a state law can override a federal law. These guys are idiots.
Mr Ed
March 23rd, 2010
7:06 am
The Constitution of the United States does not allow federal government to overide states as suggested above. The Constitution does not allow Congress to dictate such things as healthcare. The people who have not read the healthcare (2,700 pages) bill cannot really understand what it says. I am dissappointed that Georgia has not joined the 35 (or so) other states that are acting to protect their citizens. Politics have gotten rotten in our country and the media has become a group of political puppets.
Mr Ed
March 23rd, 2010
7:24 am
Article I, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution says: “All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.” It seems to me the bill that passed the House on March 21, 2010 was clearly for “raising Revenue” since it is filled with a lot of new taxes. It also seems to me the bill the House passed on March 21 did not “originate” in the House since the House merely voted on the bill the Senate originally passed on Christmas Eve 2009. In fact, everyone has been calling it the “Senate health care bill.” So, whay isn’t this crazy thing unconstitutional under Article I, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution?
Sherri in Norcross
March 23rd, 2010
9:40 am
To see how an official voted go to http://votesmart.org.
Steve in Buckhead
March 23rd, 2010
11:00 am
Better to have the US legislation’s mandate where people pay something than the one we operate with now, namely the forced hidden premiums taxpayers fund by “universal emergency room health care” for people uable or unwilling to purchase health insurance.
The Snark
March 23rd, 2010
11:09 am
What a bunch of ignorant, phony pseudo-scholars of the Constitution. You guys sound like fundamentalists (Christian, Muslim, take your pick) who have never read their scriptures all the way through but who quote this part and that when it suits whatever position pops up in their head.
How about this one — Article VI, Clause 2: “This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.”
Stephen Frazier
March 23rd, 2010
12:27 pm
The very reason our liberty is being eaten away little by little is because of people who say “We have better things to do” and that there is nothing to do but accept this encroachment and move on. If the GOP were in charge and rammed a pro-life mandate on our country these same nanny state supporters would bleat themselves to death chanting “You are trampling on our CHOICE”.
Now comes Barack Obama and the Democrats who are saying we are not smart enough to make our own helth insurance choices and all we hear is how great it is.
What has just happened is that the Socialistas have strapped a two trillion dollar time bomb onto the backs of our children and all the parents can say is “gee, how wonderful!”.
I personally wish the full effects of this bill could apply TODAY instead of 2014 so that those who voted for these clowns can feel the pain while they still remember why this is is happening.
Another reason is that I suffer this defeat with full knowledge that the Democrats will one day lose their majority and then perhaps the GOP will fix Social Security and the tax code using the same back room, back door bribes and payoffs just like the Democrats are doing today.
I hope someone keeps a time capsule with all our comments so that when THAT day comes, we can gloat as they are today.
After just one year of Barack Hussein Obama George W Bush is looking better and better.
Stephen Frazier
March 23rd, 2010
2:02 pm
PS. You can read the complete vote breakdown at blackindependent.com
Weber
March 23rd, 2010
2:23 pm
“House defeated a constitutional amendment Monday saying Georgians should not be forced to be part of national health care reform.”
To vote against the bill is to vote in favor of the Gov’t FORCING an enormous healthcare decision upon you…. Do you people not realize that? The operable word is FORCE! What happened to choice in the Land of the Free? If you want to engage in the gov’t healthcare program, then do so, but why would you FORCE your decision on anyone else?
And for those in favor of FORCING these decisions….. What happens once you’ve granted the government all this unprecendented power, Obama leaves office, and then a politician who you do not agree with takes leadership? Do think FORCING decisions upon the People will end with your party of favor? Do you not understand that inevitably the pendulum will swing the other way, a party that opposes your poltical leanings will at some point hold power, and they’ll be FORCING decisions upon you that you likely will not agree with? I think we should limit the government’s ability to force anything upon us whatsoever…..
/libertarian
t
March 23rd, 2010
2:47 pm
Let Georgians vote on that statement above and we will see what the voters think about it.
GMan
March 23rd, 2010
3:57 pm
Audrey: you wont be laughing when Congress rolls over to the GOP like in 94 you loser.