The following joint letter was sent today by 17 prominent free market groups supporting House efforts this week to delay Obamacare's employer and individual mandates. Here's a PDF of the letter. The content and signers are below:
We, the undersigned organizations and individuals stand united in our support for a delay in Obamacare’s employer mandate and individual mandate.
On July 2, 2013, the Obama Administration announced a one-year delay in the employer mandate. Changing any statute's effective date is in the purview of the U.S. Congress, not the Executive Branch. While it is highly questionable whether the Obama Administration has the legal authority to delay the employer mandate, their admission that the Obamacare law is unworkable is all too accurate.
Unfortunately, this accommodation was provided only for Big Businesses. We believe that individuals, small businesses, and families deserve at least the same reprieve from Obamacare’s costly mandates. If the employer mandate can be delayed a year, so can (and should) the individual mandate, which adversely affects individuals, families and small business owners.
That’s why we’re supportive of efforts this week in the House of Representatives to delay for one year both the employer and individual mandates.
We view this effort as not only a matter of basic fairness, but part and parcel of our larger efforts to defund and repeal Obamacare. We support full Obamacare repeal and full de-funding of Obamacare, as well as the mandate delay efforts the House is undertaking this week.
Sincerely,
Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform
Dean Clancy, Freedom Works
Heather Higgins, Independent Women’s Voice
Jenny Beth Martin, Tea Party Patriots
Amy Kremer, Tea Party Express
Duane Parde, National Taxpayers Union
Grace-Marie Turner, Galen Institute
Phil Kerpen, American Commitment
John Tate, Campaign for Liberty
Jim Martin, 60 Plus Association
Colin Hanna, Let Freedom Ring
Penny Nance, Concerned Women for America
George Landrith, Frontiers of Freedom
Ken Hoagland, Restore America’s Voice
Kathryn Serkes, Doctor-Patient Medical Association
Christopher Wright, Obamacare Truth Squad
Chris Prandoni, Alliance for Worker Freedom
Alexandria Tea Party