By Will Newton NFIB-Texas
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Its the time of year for fireworks barbeques pool parties & celebrating our nations freedom. But this July 4
th brings a harsher reality for Americans as one of our core freedoms hangs in the balance - the freedom from the government to force citizens to buy a certain product or participate in any one part of commerce.
For many freedom fostered the American dream of entrepreneurship prosperity and limitless creative ambition that has become a reality for so many people. Then three months ago after nearly a year-long battle Congress passed and President Obama signed the healthcare bill into law.
Everyone could agree our nation needed healthcare reform. But this law was not the way to do it; in fact this law is unconstitutional.
The healthcare law infringes on every Americans right to purchase what they please including health insurance plans. The law forces Americans to buy health insurance whether they want to or not or face a penalty in the form of a fine.
Our nation was not founded upon a government that forces its own citizens to purchase something against their will or face a penalty.
Maybe being forced to purchase health insurance doesnt sound so bad to you. But what if the government forces you to buy vitamins or join a gym or say that we cant eat BBQ on July 4
th because its unhealthy?
If the courts uphold the healthcare law as it currently stands there is no limit to what the government will be able to mandate Americans purchase.
This law is not only detrimental to our freedoms but also to our businesses particularly infringing on small business owners abilities to manage the day-to-
day operations of their businesses. The individual and employer mandates combined with the onslaught of new taxes paperwork requirements and new rules will dramatically increase the cost of starting and running a small business.
And while there are a few provisions that may benefit a limited number of small businesses the overall effect of the law will do much more harm to small
businesses than good.
Wheres the potential for the American dream there? Its quite diminished.
Small businesses drive the U.S. economy and are responsible for two-thirds of the net new jobs created over the past decade. A law that harms small business harms the entire nation.
Small businesses deserve better than a healthcare law that was rushed through the legislative process ignored the Constitution and ultimately will destroy jobs and force some small businesses to close their doors. Along with 20 states the
National Federation of Independent Business is fighting to overturn this legislation and protect our nations freedoms through a lawsuit against the healthcare law.
NFIB has fought for healthcare reform for decades but expanding coverage by chipping away at the freedoms afforded to individuals and small business owners in the Constitution is unacceptable.
Mandates from a central government authority that forced the people to behave or act in certain ways were exactly what we won our independence from over 200 years ago.
Lets not go back.
Will Newton is the executive director for NFIB-Texas.
