Politics & Government
Jewish Group and Others Weighing in on Health Care Decision
Court largely upholds the law, often referred to as Obamacare, in a Thursday morning ruling. As a result, many are issuing statements.
A number of groups are sending out statements regarding Thursday's
The individual mandate, a key provision of the law that requires most Americans to maintain “minimum essential” health insurance coverage, passed muster with the judges.
From: Alan van Capelle, Chief Executive Officer, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice
Find out what's happening in Laguna Niguel-Dana Pointwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Congress, the president and now the Supreme Court have all spoken out clearly about the need for and constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. We congratulate President Obama, Leader Pelosi and Chief Justice Roberts for the leadership that each has shown in assuring that no American need fear bankruptcy and financial ruin due to a health crisis. The millions of men, women and children who will benefit from this law will in turn strengthen our workforce, boost our economy, and protect the most vulnerable among us.
I can’t think of too many things that are scarier than knowing you have nowhere to go if you get sick. My dad was a mechanical engineer. He was a stoic man, someone who had endured the challenges of immigrating to a new country and carving out a life; a man not given to displays of emotion. The first time I ever saw my dad cry was when I was ten years old and listening to my parents talk at our kitchen table and my dad had to tell my mom that we might not have health insurance anymore because he had been laid off from his job. Today’s ruling means that millions of families will never again have to endure this kind of fear.
Find out what's happening in Laguna Niguel-Dana Pointwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Jewish law and practice have always considered health care a communal responsibility. The Shulchan Aruch says, "If one has medicine that a sick person needs, it is forbidden to charge more than the appropriate price" (YD 336:3) and our community has a long history of advocating for inclusive health care policy. Bend the Arc is proud to stand with President Obama, Leader Pelosi, Chief Justice Roberts and four other Justices, as well as the millions of American Jews who support and advocated for this law.
From: Ken Hoagland, chairman of RepealItNow.org and Restore America’s Voice Foundation
The head of the grassroots campaign that delivered 1.6 million petitions to repeal the healthcare act over the past year said today that TV ads would begin immediately to rally Americans to force legislative repeal of ObamaCare.
"We will be sending millions of petitions, voice mails and phone calls into Senate offices to make the point that we want this law erased," said Ken Hoagland, chairman of Restore America's Voice Foundation.
"The Court threaded a Constitutional needle in redefining the individual mandate as a federal tax. It's disappointing but not the final recourse for the American people. Now it is time for the legislature to do its job representing the will of the American people for full and final repeal of this ill-considered legislation," said Hoagland.
"The public has seen through the false promises, is indignant that political friends were given waivers and understands that the 'Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act' neither protects patients nor controls costs," said Hoagland. New ads, said Hoagland, would make the point that Senate Democrats were standing in the way of majority opinion about the sweeping law.
"President Obama and Democrats in Congress swore this was not a tax. Now they rely on it being so. And as such, they have pulled off an egregious bait and switch on the American people.
"It must be repealed in its entirety or Senate Democrats will have to go home and explain their flawed definition of faithful representation. If they won't represent the will of the people, then how have they earned the right to serve?" asked Hoagland.
Hoagland's group presented 560,000 petitions the day before the House voted for full repeal last year and another 1.6 million petitions to the Senate earlier this year.
The Supreme Court released its decision on the health care law, National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius. Read the decision by downloading the PDF.
Healthcare.gov has information about how the law affects you. You can read the law, learn about key features of the law, and see a timeline of what will change and when. Learn more about the health care law.
