It is a mandate that is unsustainable in the Constitution."
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. Today U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) joined Republican Senators and Attorneys General at a press conference immediately following the Supreme Courts consideration of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Acts individual mandate.
Below is a transcript of Senator Hutchisons remarks:
I think that weve seen these early arguments yesterday especially in which theyre arguing whether it is a tax or a mandate and I thought Justice Roberts certainly said Well of course we all know if its a tax that gives Congress the capability to do it.
But he basically said that if it looks like a duck and it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck its a duck which means its a mandate.
And I think that what its doing is telling every business in America that they have to subscribe to a government-run health care plan.
It is an unconstitutional mandate that will make this whole law unconstitutional.
It is a mandate that is unsustainable in the Constitution. I think the Justices are beginning
to get enough information and we hope they will come to the right decision.
There is no question that two-thirds of the American people believe that this is an encroachment on their freedom and I hope that we can change it someday by law.
I hope that we can start all over and have a good health plan giving more access to Americans to insurance that they can afford and that they want.
