Georgia Dems block effort to opt out of federal health care

By Ernie Suggs

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Republican Sen. Judson Hill tried to send a message Wednesday to President Barack Obama about health care.

Instead, the Democrats in the Georgia Senate sent the GOP a message by rejecting Hill’s proposed constitutional amendment that would have allowed Georgians to opt out of federally mandated health care.

"We stand united, at least within the Republican Caucus, to say your health care and your health care freedoms of choice are critically important,” said Hill, of Marietta.

Senate Resolution 794 was part of a nationwide effort launched by Republicans to defeat the health care overhaul being considered in Congress.

There are currently 38 states pushing constitutional amendments that would give the states the option of not participating in federal health care. Hill’s resolution was meant to block any federal health care bill.

It would have allowed Georgia to invoke the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which says that any power not explicitly granted the federal government in the Constitution is preserved for the states.

Hill argued that a proposed health care overhaul -- for which support and opposition are sharply split along party lines -- would protect Georgians from having to participate in a federal program.

“The teeth on this are your rights,” Hill said.

The resolution needed approval from two-thirds of the Senate, or 38 votes, before it could move to the House. The House would have had the same requirements before it would have gone on the November ballot.

It died with a vote along party lines of 34 in favor to 19 against.

Senate Minority Leader Robert Brown (D-Macon) spent about a minute in the well blasting the amendment.

“I gave it more attention than it deserved,” Brown said.

Brown later told a group of reporters that Republican state senators were trying to “poke” America in the eye.

“This had no real meaning. We are still part of the United States of America,” Brown said. “This is a clear message that we need to focus on the people of Georgia and not get distracted by the frivolous kind of legislation. We need to focus on the budget and schools. This amendment has no teeth. This means nothing.”

But Hill isn’t giving up. He is now pushing a similar piece of legislation, SB 317, which would just need a majority vote.