WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI), chairman of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement today after a federal judge ruled in favor of private citizens, small businesses, and 26 states to declare last year’s controversial health care law unconstitutional in its entirety:
“As today’s ruling makes clear, government cannot - it must not - attempt to coerce its citizens into accepting a health care system they reject under threat of federal punishment. This law continues its record of broken promises, failing to bring down health care costs or permit Americans to keep the coverage they like, and instead, trampling individual liberty with a harsh mandate-and-penalize regime for individuals and job creators.
“As the lawsuits proceed through the courts and the American people continue to speak out against this government takeover of health care, it is clearer than ever that Congress must act to repeal this unconstitutional law and replace it with sensible, market-based, patient-centered solutions. Today’s ruling only adds urgency and a moral imperative to our efforts, as an unconstitutional law continues to mire our states and health care providers in uncertainty and confusion. As Congress proceeds in our effort to repeal and replace this law, I urge the administration to see to it that these challenges are fast-tracked to the Supreme Court to resolve these questions as quickly as possible."
