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Published Saturday, January 14, 2012 in Local
Ga. Democrats join defense of health reform law
By WALTER C. JONES
Morris News Service
ATLANTA -- Georgia Democratic legislators from the House and Senate announced Friday they've joined 500 of their colleagues across the country in filing a brief in support of the federal health-reform law.
The federal law championed by President Barack Obama faces legal challenges over the constitutionality of requiring individuals to purchase health insurance if their employers or the government don't provide it. Georgia is one of the states that initiated the challenge now awaiting a hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Georgia Democrats stood shoulder to shoulder on the Capitol steps before reporters to announce their participation in the friend-of-the-court brief filed Friday by the Center for Constitutional Law in support of the Obama administration.
"We are sending a strong message today by signing this amicus -- friend of the court -- brief that more than 500 legislators support the constitutionality of this law," said Sen. Nan Orrock, D-Atlanta.
The provisions of the law are popular with the public and needed, said Rep. Gloria Frazier, D-Hephzibah.
For instance, allowing small businesses to deduct the expense of premiums from income on their tax returns has an economic benefit, she said.
"If we do not have healthy workers, we do not have money coming into the state," she said. "This is good for small businesses' bottom line."
The U.S. Supreme Court set aside three days for oral arguments in late March. Decisions from the nation's highest court usually come many months afterward.
But Rep. Pat Gardner, D-Atlanta, said Georgia's legislature should move quickly to pass a bill to create a statewide insurance exchange, one of the federal law's requirements.
"If we have not passed a bill this session and (health reform) is upheld, we'll be at the back of the line for federal grants for setting up our health exchange," she said. "So, it has consequences."
Conservatives stalled consideration of a health-exchange bill in last year's legislative session by arguing that it would give the appearance of support for the federal law.
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...oh and btw, I didn't vote for Obama in the last presidential election (I actually voted for McCain), so don't use your typical reaction of "liberal" because I'm open-minded. Like I said Ken....some of these people don't care about a quality of life for all people, they just want to watch the world burn.
Posted by Coweta Resident at 9:26 PM
Do your research you are wrong again. There is reason you like welfare and socialized medicine and dislike people who work and pay taxes.
Posted by joe cool at 11:46 AM
We need to initiate the exchanges.We need to have a voice into what they may be. Although with the make-up of the present Supreme Court it is doubtful that they will find with law that was passed.
Posted by Elizabeth Clarke at 1:57 AM
Once again instead of intelligent answers all you can do is throw welfare and food stamps around.
Did you know Joe that Obama care as you call it was written and developed by the Heritage Foundation. Medicare part D which was passed and boasted by the Baby Bush,is based on the same writings from the Heritage Foundation.
It is not free to anyone it requires a premium.
Medicare is not an entitlement,it is paid for throughout your working career. Medicaid and your state Peach Care would be entitlements.
The thing is, all the griping about Socialized medicine....We been paying for it for years with all of these programs ...the poor get it ...the old get it..Everyone but the folks paying the bill.
Joe just don't whine put a constructive post out there.
Posted by Ken at 1:55 AM
If you'll do research you'll discover that the average income for doctors is $200,000 per year and some specialist $400,000. If it's gonna be so beneficial then why are so many doctors opposing it? I don't like the idea of some bureaucrat deciding if and when I may or may not receive medical care. Heck, we're scrambling around trying to find money to extend unemployment , how do you expect to find the money for Obamacare? The post office is almost bankrupt , Washington has spent our social security contributions making it broke , since our government has done such a wonderful job of screwing everything up , what makes you think Obamacare is going to be different?
Posted by twocrows at 1:43 AM
The premiums are going up because of obamacare. The insurance are already trying to recupe money they will lose having to insure someone who waited till they got a sick and those who never would buy insurance.
Posted by Joe Cool at 11:07 PM
Which stated : Those of you that object will benefit from "Obamacare". We all will. Do some research and you will find that the local Doctor is going broke due to reduced coverage and reimbursement from insurance companies including the "horrible" entitlement known as Medicare. Think about all the people that will seek preventative care once this wonderful bill is in effect. Your premiums are not going up solely based on Obama. Alot of people have been forced to drop coverage which means when these people get sick and skip the bill guess what the taxpayers pay for it! So don't act like Obama is personally coming to your house to take your money and then walking next door to the vacant dope house and giving it to the deadbeats. Stop it I say!
Posted by Tea Heard at 6:08 PM
Great Comment and right on the money!
Posted by Joe Cool at 4:40 PM
Having sold insurance for several years and having been licensed in both life and health my experience is that many have no interest in buying either one until they get sick and either become uninsurable or now have a pre-existing condition. It is not right for our government to force companies to accept those applications. If you never been diagnosed will a condition then it is not considered to be pre-existing. I'm retired and I'm not old enough for medicare but I budgeted my income in order to have a PPO. There's a lot of individuals who could do the same but choose to spend their money elsewhere. Is the government going to mandate that you spend your money wisely? Because if they don't how can they mandate that you buy health insurance? If you are taxed based on how much you spend rather than what you earn then it would stand to reason that the mega wealthy would pay more taxes. How is it possible that Obamacare forces one to buy and another is exempted. Is this fair?
Posted by twocrows at 1:32 PM
You are correct. Premiums and copays have gone way up thanks to obama.
We should just all stop working and live off of the gov like the democrats.
Posted by Joe Cool at 10:54 AM
Thanks Joe--me, too! And to Coweta Resident, it's one thing to voluntarily help your fellow man but when the Federal Government mandates it at the point of the gun AKA the LAW, then that does smack of socialism... FAR from civilized, wouldn't you say?
Posted by Regular Reader at 3:30 AM
I am sure you buy it with food stamps supplied by the hard working tax paying conservative.
Posted by Joe Cool at 2:36 AM
I have to buy my own healthcare. And so far, every "ObamaCare Improvement" has meant higher premiums, higher deductible, less coverage and fewer choices. Thanks, Obama. I should just cancel it, pocket the money, and do what the democrats do. Expect others to pay for me. Sorry, not in my code!
Posted by Advantage Shopper at 2:31 AM
I hope you win the lottery.
Posted by Joe Cool at 2:20 AM
...keep on sipping it Joe Cool since you can't be proven wrong anyway. That's part of being 'someone with a conservative viewpoint.' And I'm tired of 'helping people' with tax money being the same as 'socialism' (here we go... doesn't really know what socialism is in the first place, which the US isn't socialism, far from it). It's what a civilized people is supposed to do.
Posted by Coweta Resident at 1:54 AM
should just stop working and go on welfare.
Liberals would have to work for a living because there would be no one paying taxes.
Posted by Joe Cool at 12:03 AM
Anne is wrong. I'm one of MANY who are uninsured and are against this overreaching, highly intrusive, unconstitutional legislation. I'm not rich either. I'm very much a working-class American. I expect NO other taxpayer to pay my way and, likewise, I don't want to pay theirs either. Joe Cool is right. Dems LOVE things that make them look like they care, so long as everyone else is FORCED BY LAW to foot the bill. Does that sound American to you? Seeing the growing 'gimme, gimme' attitudes of many Americans is a sad, shameful thing justified by vilifying the rich. I've got nothing against the rich. I've never been hired by a poor person. Have you?
Posted by Regular Reader at 11:56 PM
Give me a break. Give back? Who gave to the rich in the first place? They earned it It wasn't given. How about all you moochers quit taking and start earning a living. I'm not rich but I aspire to be and I don't want to carry all of you on my back. Get off your lazy rearends.
Posted by Bill C at 11:46 PM
Have gone up and copays to pay for the deadbeats.
Posted by curious conservative at 10:09 PM
The hardworking taxpayer is paying the bill. Stop blaming everyone for your problems.
Posted by Joe Cool at 10:08 PM
Get a life! Again hardworking people footing the bill for people who don't want to do for themselves.
Hey did you hear about the beating democrats took in the 2010 elections? worst in 70 years and it will happen again in nov 2012.
Posted by Joe Cool at 10:06 PM
And someone else (you), will have to pay for it any way for those that do not have health insurance and show up in the emergency room in the tertiary stages of a disease that needs long-term care if ACA is not implemented. You will still have to pay for the care. It is cheaper for preventive care than tertiary care. God forbid if anyone of you had to go on *gasp* public assistance for health care, aka Medicare, or receive a socialist payment from the government such as a tax refund or rely on Social (operative word here) Security to help pay for your golden days and your health. *sigh*
Posted by Here we go.... at 9:00 PM
....welcome to 2010 Tea Party Wackos/Republican America. Want to improve the quality of life for all Americans by having a law requiring health insurance? Who cares about that....it messes up the federal budget and forces rich people to actually have to give back!
Posted by Coweta Resident at 7:49 PM
If my representatives do anything to impilment this before the Supreme Court rules that we have to; I will do all in my power to see that they aren't elected again. And I do know who they are - Mike Crane and Billy Horne.
Posted by Bill C at 4:28 PM
Those opposed to the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) are those in the "safe harbour" of having insurance coverage! What do they care about the rest of us!
Posted by anne at 2:08 PM
ObamaCare (nickname) has helped my family in three ways: Closed teh doughnut hole for me, my Granddaughter can be covered under her Mom's insurance policy, and a son who has pre-existing conditions can BUY insurance. Sounds good to me!
Posted by frannie at 2:00 PM
Democrats are for anything that someone else has to pay for.
Posted by Joe Cool at 12:00 PM
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coweta resident is not open minded.
1/16/2012
Link To This Comment
A great idea would be for liberals to take care of liberals instead of relying on working tax paying conservatives to take care of them.
I care about the quality of life. Problem is you liberals wait till you get sick and then get mad when you can't get insurance. Have you ever heard of getting it before you get sick?
I give over 10 percent of my income to charity and donate time.
What do you do? Oh wait complain that a taxpayer should give more.
Your type always want someone else to foot the bill.
By the way McCain is liberal.
Posted by Joe Cool at 11:44 PM