Independent Women's Voice today delivered the following letter to the office of Senator Richard Shelby and the other members of the Appropriations Committe encouraging them to support Sen. Shelby's amendment to block billions of dollars of spending on the imeplementation of ObamaCare:
September 21, 2011
Senator Richard C. Shelby
304 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Sen. Shelby,
Today the Appropriations Committee will consider mark-ups to the Labor/Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill. Thank you for offering an amendment to block billions of dollars of spending on the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. On behalf of Independent Women's Voice, I strongly support your amendment and urge the Appropriations Committee to adopt it.
Since the passage of this odious law in March, 2010, the American people have consistently opposed it. The midterm elections of 2010 were a clear rejection of the PPACA and government overspending. The special elections in NY-9 and NV-2 last week indicate that this trend continues, and Americans remain unsatisfied with Washington’s direction on the economy and health care. Last week, new reports added to the mounting evidence that the PPACA hurts the economy and kills jobs. This is a crucial time, and Congress has an opportunity to deliver serious and significant spending cuts to a very unpopular new law. The American people know that the PPACA’s implementation will ultimately cost taxpayers trillions of dollars. Now is the time to slow – or better, completely stop – wasting money on this law.
Perhaps most troubling, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has faced multiple losses in district courts, and has now failed to pass Constitutional muster in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. What began as a handful of lawsuits that many called “frivolous” has turned into a wave of more than 30 cases with plaintiffs including 28 states, several business groups, doctors’ groups, religious groups, and various public officials and private citizens. Three appellate courts have ruled on four cases, and another ruling is expected from the D.C. Circuit this fall. Clearly, the Supreme Court of the United States will have the final word on whether the PPACA stands.
Although the Court could uphold or strike down the entire law or sever it into individual parts, we will not know the outcome until the slow wheels of justice reach a final opinion. It is quite possible that the money used to implement this law will end up entirely wasted if the Court rejects key aspects of the law. This simple fact – coupled with the public’s outright rejection of the law – should make the PPACA an attractive place to start making cuts.
Therefore we strongly support your amendment to strike all funding for the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act from the Appropriations bill. We simply cannot continue wasting money on a destructive, unpopular, and potentially unconstitutional law.
Sincerely,
Heather R. Higgins
President & CEO
Independent Women's Voice