Statement from Governor Rick Scott Regarding ObamaCare Reaching the Supreme Court

Tallahassee, Fla. – “Today’s news that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments next March in the Florida lawsuit against ObamaCare is a tremendous step in the fight against the job-killing federal mandate. With this news, I am hopeful that ObamaCare will be repealed by the end of 2012 and we can put a stop to further tax increases, additional job losses, the inability of many Americans to keep their existing health insurance, and the rationing of healthcare, all of which ObamaCare threatens to do. I applaud Attorney General Pam Bondi for leading the effort to protect Floridians’ freedom to make their own healthcare choices and I am also grateful that former Attorney General Bill McCollum had the foresight to initiate this lawsuit. I look forward to the day we can move past this Big Government mandate and begin making the meaningful, and constitutional, changes that are necessary to improve our healthcare system.”

… Continue Reading

Health Care Lawsuit Moves Step Closer to U.S. Supreme Court Hearing, Oral Argument Set for June 8

TALLAHASSEE—Today, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals scheduled the health
care lawsuit oral argument for June 8, moving the case one step closer to
the U.S. Supreme Court.  This expedited schedule paves the way for the
challenge of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to be
heard before the U.S. Supreme Court by fall. While the motion for en banc,
or full court, hearing was denied, scheduling the oral argument so quickly
will ensure that the case continues to move forward expeditiously. … Continue Reading

Sen. Marco Rubio: 1 Year Anniversary of Obamacare

Dear Supporter,

One year after the passing of Obamacare and the independent Congressional Budget Office estimates it will cost our country more than 800,000 jobs over the next 10 years. Today conservatives are leading the way to repeal and replace this job killing law with free market based principles.

In 2010 voters across the country sent a clear message that the Obama agenda was taking America down a path that must be stopped. America is the most exceptional country in the world and it is time to reclaim the principles that make her exceptional.

… Continue Reading

Department of Justice Files Notice of Appeal in the Federal Health Care Lawsuit

Media Advisory

To: Interested State Media
Date: March 8, 2011
Subject: Department of Justice Files Notice of Appeal in the Federal Health
Care Lawsuit

The Department of Justice filed a Notice of Appeal in the Federal Health
Care Lawsuit on Tuesday afternoon.
To access the notice of appeal click here:
http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/JDAS-8ERU6V/$file/DOJNoticeofAppeal03082011.pdf

… Continue Reading

Attorney General Bondi Files Response to Department of Justice in Health Care Lawsuit

TALLAHASSEE, FLA – Attorney General Pam Bondi today filed a response in the
health care lawsuit, opposing the Department of Justice’s motion to
clarify. The memorandum was filed on behalf of the 26 states and the
National Federation of Independent Business.

“Department of Justice’s motion to clarify is merely an attempt to delay
the process when the order clearly required a halt to implementation. Judge
Vinson’s order is an injunction stopping the federal government from
enforcing the Affordable Care Act on the 26 states.

… Continue Reading

Statement By Rep. Mark Pafford, Democratic Ranking Member House Health Care Appropriations Committee on Governor Scott’s Halt to Health Care Insurance Implementation

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Rep. Mark Pafford, Democratic ranking member of the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement:

“At a time when Florida residents will soon be able to access affordable health insurance on their own terms, the decision by Florida to return the money that will help the state implement health insurance reform is just flat wrong.

“The decision by the Governor and the Insurance Commissioner to stop implementing the reforms squarely puts the state on the side of the insurance industry over Florida taxpayers. By denying Floridians the important health reforms enacted in the Affordable Care Act, the state’s residents and small businesses would be denied critical new benefits of the law, like protections against insurance industry abuses and new coverage options.
… Continue Reading

Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon and House Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Rob Schenck Comment on Federal Judge Ruling the Federal Health Care Act Unconstitutional

Tallahassee–Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon (R-Winter Park) issued the following statement regarding Judge Roger Vinson’s ruling on the constitutionality of the federal health care act:

“Today Judge Vinson’s ruling affirmed Florida’s and 25 other states’ position that portions of the federal health care act are unconstitutional and a gross misuse of federal authority.

“The ruling makes it clear that the federal mandate to buy government-defined insurance goes far beyond Congress’ constitutional power to regulate commerce. The federal government should join the states in finding ways to reduce costs and improve access to care, rather than ordering individuals to purchase benefits they may not want.

… Continue Reading

Statement by House Majority Leader Carlos Lopez-Cantera on a Florida Federal Judge Striking Down the Federal Health Care Law

Tallahassee, Fla. – Florida House Majority Leader Carlos Lopez-Cantera (R-Miami) today issued the following statement regarding U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson’s order stating that federal health care reform signed into law by President Obama should be declared void in its entirety.

“Today Judge Vinson’s ruling endorsed what Florida and the majority of states have argued – forcing individual citizens to purchase health insurance is unconstitutional and a gross misuse of federal authority.

… Continue Reading

What I Didn’t Hear

Dear Friend,

In the run-up to yesterday’s Republican House vote to repeal health care reform, I listened to the “debate.” Admittedly, at a somewhat greater distance than last time. But with C-SPAN, four 24-hour news networks and the internet, it’s not hard to follow what our elected representatives are saying.

Much like last time, the “debate” has seemed rather one-sided to me.

We still have over 30 million Americans who cannot see a doctor when they are sick. According to this Harvard study, adjusting for gender, race, smoking, weight, and just about everything else that you can think of, in any given year, the uninsured are 40% more likely to die than the insured are. That results in 44,789 additional deaths in America each year. All of which are avoidable.

This is more than twice the number of homicides in America.
… Continue Reading

Rep. Betty Reed Statement Regarding the Affordable Care Act

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – State Representative Betty Reed (D-Tampa) issued the following statement regarding today’s debate and vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act:

“It would be a sad day for our nation if The Affordable Care Act were to be repealed. Middle-class Floridians and all those who have joined the ranks of the uninsured would be further burdened if Congress repeals this historic measure.

“Repealing the Affordable Care Act leaves insurance companies the opportunity to raise rates. At least 86,000 young people in our state will lose their insurance coverage. Many of our constituents who suffer with diabetes, mental health illness and other serious health issues will find themselves with no coverage.

… Continue Reading

Chairman Smith Expresses Disappointment at Republican Vote to Repeal the Affordable Care Act

Today, Republicans in the House of Representatives voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Following that vote, Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith released the following statement:

“Today, House Republicans took a vote that can be viewed at best as a partisan gesture to the extreme right wing of their party and at worst can be considered an affront to millions of middle class Americans. The repeal of the Affordable Care Act, as approved by House Republicans, would have two primary consequences: Americans would be stripped of patient protections and health insurance would become more unaffordable for families and for America as a whole.

… Continue Reading

Judge Vinson Grants Florida’s motion to add parties to the lawsuit challenging federal health care law

MEMORANDUM

Date: January 19, 2011
From: Jennifer Krell Davis, Office of the Attorney General
To: Interested Members of the Media
Re: Judge Vinson Grants Florida’s motion to add parties to the lawsuit
challenging federal health care law

Members of the Media,

In response to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s request yesterday to
add six states – Iowa, Ohio, Kansas, Wyoming, Wisconsin and Maine – to the
federal health care lawsuit, the federal judge issued an order today
accepting those six states.

A copy of the order can be found at:
http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/KGRG-8D9TZ9/$file/OrderGrantingMotionToAddParties.pdf

# # #

For an official, downloadable photograph, please visit
http://www.myfloridalegal.com/picture.html. Also, follow the Attorney
General’s Office on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/myfloridalegal

Rep. Perry Thurston Says Health Care Repeal Further Threatens Needed Mental Health Services

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – State Representative Perry E. Thurston, Jr. (D-Plantation) issued the following statement regarding today’s debate and vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

“As the recent tragic events in Tucson so powerfully showed, mental health care is just as important to one’s quality of life as one’s physical health.

“It is truly reprehensible that the U.S. House of Representatives today saw fit to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a landmark piece of legislation that goes a long way toward ensuring mental health no longer takes a back seat to physical health in our health insurance system. The Act repealed today in a largely symbolic and meaningless manner, contains important steps forward to stop the insurance companies’ practice of arbitrarily limiting care for mental health or substance use disorders.

… Continue Reading

Big Vote Tomorrow!

Tomorrow, the United States House of Representatives is expected to vote on a bill that would repeal ObamaCare, the President’s massive health care law that will burden our economy and stifle job creation.

During the campaign, Marco heard from Floridians across the state opposed to the President’s new health care law and its higher taxes and burdensome regulations. His position on this issue has never changed—he has always been opposed to ObamaCare and has supported its repeal. In its place, Marco believes we should adopt common sense, conservative measures that make health care more affordable and accessible.

The Democrats’ health care package hurts small businesses all across Florida. It punishes entrepreneurial Americans who want to start a new business or expand an existing one.  We can do better.

… Continue Reading

Statement by HHS Chairman Schenck Regarding Additional States Joining the Florida Lawsuit Against Federal Health Care Law

Tallahassee, Fla. – Representative Robert Schenck (R-Springhill), Chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee, today released the following statement regarding a motion to add six additional states to the lawsuit against the federal health care law.

“I applaud Attorney General Bondi, as well as former Attorney General McCollum for spearheading this legal action against the federal takeover of our state’s health care system, and commend the six additional states now included in the lawsuit.

“Because of the federal law, States face an unprecedented burden on their Medicaid programs with less flexibility to manage them. The Florida lawsuit is the only case challenging these Medicaid mandates and now the majority of states in the country have joined us in fighting them.

… Continue Reading

Governor Praises Motion to Add Six States to Federal Health Care Lawsuit

Tallahassee, Fla. – Governor Rick Scott made the following statement today regarding a motion to add six states to the federal health care lawsuit:

“The addition of six new states to Florida’s federal healthcare lawsuit speaks volumes about the detrimental impact of ObamaCare at both the state and national level. Thanks to the effort of Attorney General Bondi and her predecessor, the majority of states are now unified in opposition to this federal healthcare takeover. Floridians can be proud that General Bondi picked up the mantle to challenge this unconstitutional law. Not only does ObamaCare threaten our freedom, it will mandate an expansion of Medicaid that threatens Florida’s fiscal well-being.”

… Continue Reading

Florida Attorney General Files Motion to Add Six New States to Lawsuit Challenging Federal Health Care Law

Tallahassee, FL – Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi today filed a motion
to add six States to the federal health care lawsuit – Iowa, Ohio, Kansas,
Wyoming, Wisconsin and Maine. This motion brings the number of states to
26, including Florida and the National Federation of Independent Business
(NFIB), in challenging the federal health care law as unconstitutional.
Also challenging that law in a separate lawsuit is Virginia, and Oklahoma
has announced its intention to do the same. … Continue Reading

Representative Hudson Files Health Care Deregulation Legislation

Tallahassee – Representative Matt Hudson (R-Naples) today filed HB 119 Health Care. HB 119, a health care deregulation package, amends the Health Care Licensing Procedures Act and the various authorizing statutes of entities regulated by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to reduce, streamline, and clarify regulations for those providers. … Continue Reading

Florida Attorney General to Attend Oral Argument for the Health Care Lawsuit

On Tuesday, September 14, 2010 Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum will
attend the oral argument for the lawsuit against the Federal Health Care
Act.  The argument will allow the Honorable Judge Vinson to determine how
he will rule in this case.

Members of the media are invited to attend the oral argument either in the
courtroom or in a jury selection room with closed circuit television.
Laptops, video cameras, recording devices, cell phones and photography are
prohibited within the courtroom.  Reporters wishing to use laptops will be
permitted to do so in the jury selection room only.  Members of the media
choosing to attend the hearing within the courtroom will be prohibited from
leaving the courtroom once argument has begun.  As there will be no live or
recorded coverage of the hearing outside of the courthouse, members of the
media who would like to cover the argument are strongly encouraged to
attend.

Immediately following the hearing, Attorney General McCollum will be joined
by Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, Alabama Attorney General Troy King
and Karen Harned, Executive Director of NFIB Small Business Legal Center
for a press conference on the steps of the courthouse to discuss the oral
argument.  Because the press conference will take place outdoors, we are
unable to set up a conference line for reporters to call in.

Date: Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Times:  Oral Argument 9:00 a.m. CDT
Press Conference approximately 11:15 a.m. CDT
**Members of the Media are strongly encouraged to arrive at the courthouse
by 8 am to clear security and secure a seat.

Location:  United States Courthouse
1 North Palafox Street
Pensacola, FL 32502

Media Contact:  Ryan Wiggins/850.245.0150
Ryan.Wiggins@myfloridalegal.com

Florida Attorney General Responds to Motion to Dismiss the Health Care Reform Act Lawsuit

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today issued the following
statement after the U.S. Department of Justice filed its motion to dismiss
the constitutional challenge to the federal health care act brought by
Florida and 19 states, the National Federation of Independent Business
(NFIB), and persons affected by the individual mandate:

“Nothing in the Justice Department’s motion filed last night changes the
States’ view that we will prevail. Instead, the Justice Department’s
defenses clash directly with comments made by President Obama during the
debate on the health care reform bill, including the President’s insistence
on national television that the purchase mandate was absolutely not a tax.
Yet in its motion to dismiss, the Obama Administration defends the
individual mandate under Congress’ ‘taxing and spending’ power. … Continue Reading