State GOP wants to block health care reform

By Aaron Gould Sheinin and Craig Schneider
cschneider@ajc.com

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A group of Republican state senators on Thursday said they want to amend the state Constitution to prevent Democrats in Washington from enforcing health care reform in Georgia.

Sens. Judson Hill (R-Marietta) and Chip Rogers (R-Marietta) were joined by about half a dozen colleagues to unveil their plans at the Capitol, just an hour before hundreds of Georgians who feel differently gathered for a rally outside.

More than 700 supporters of the Democrats’ plans for health care reform chanted in favor of health coverage for all. Among them was Annette Cotter, 69, of DeKalb County, who said that when her husband contracted bacterial meningitis, his insurance company canceled his policy. The couple ended up spending $700 a month for an insurance policy.

“He had worked his whole life,” she said.

Like much of the crowd, she favored the “public option,” which the government would oversee.

“We lived in Brussels for three years and we never paid a penny and we never waited like I wait for my doctor here,” she said.

The rally was sponsored by Moveon.org, Health Care for America Now, and Organizing for America.

A much smaller contingent of about 20 opponents faced off against the crowd.

Supporters held signs saying “Public Option = Affordable Health Care” while opponents held signs such as “Washington — Leave Us Alone.”

Members of both groups shouted at each other but there was no pushing or violence.

Opponent Kathy Harper of Griffin said, “I am sick and tired of our government running roughshod over us.”

Health care, she added, is not a right in America.

“You show me where health care is a right in the Constitution and I’ll put down this sign and walk away,” she said.

Rev. Timothy McDonald, a leader of the patient advocate group called The Grady Coalition, said to the crowd, “We stand here as people who believe that health care is a moral issue. We will not be intimidated by those who holler at town hall meetings. Today we stand for health care for all Americans.”

Hill and Rogers said their resolution would block any health care bill that passes Congress. It will be introduced when the General Assembly returns in January. It would require a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate and ratification by the public in the November 2010 election.

The proposed amendment would, Hill and Rogers said, allow 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 and Rogers argue that the health care reform bill being debated in Congress would violate the 10th Amendment and that their state amendment would protect Georgia from having to participate in any federal reform.

“The 10th Amendment protects us from such federal mandates,” Hill said. “United we stand to protect Georgians, united we stand to protect these freedoms for Georgians.”

When asked if the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which grants Congress the right to regulate and enforce matters related to interstate commerce, would interfere with their plan, Hill could not say.

“The 10th amendment allows any state to preserve their own rights,” Hill said. “We’re saying this is one right that is preserved for all Georgians and is not delegated out to the United States government.”

Asked if Medicare, the 44-year-old government-run health care program for seniors, would also then be unconstitutional, Hill said, “That’s a good question. I don’t know yet. We’ll fight that battle when it comes before us.”

Later Thursday, U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), who returns to Washington next week when Congress reconvenes to continue the debate, met with about 200 Georgians for whom Medicare is not just an abstract.

Addressing residents at the Park Springs assisted living center in Stone Mountain, Isakson said while he opposes President Barack Obama’s plan, he completely supports Medicare.

“I want to preserve Medicare and see that it’s as good as it can be,” Isakson said.

Rogers and Hill were more adamant about the health care initiative currently under debate.

“We don’t need more government mandates,” Rogers said. “In the United States of America and particularly in Georgia, you ought to have the freedom to purchase health care if you like.”

When pressed about details of the Democrats’ plans, Rogers and Hill sounded less certain. According to the Obama plan, the government option for health care would be that — an option. Consumers could keep their private insurance if they wish.

But Rogers was not convinced. He said to ask “our friends in Canada” if they like government-run health care.

Hill said under one of the Democrats’ draft versions being considered in Congress, consumers could indeed keep their private insurance, but only until the end of the year. At that point, all private plans would be cancelled, he said, and consumers would be forced into the government-run plan.

Obama, who will address a joint session of Congress Wednesday night on the issue, has said his plan includes a number of consumer protections, one of which requires private insurance companies to renew any policy as long as the policy-holder pays the premiums in full.