Will Congress Stop Obamacare?
by Rob Bluey and Ryan O'Donnell, Heritage Foundation September 30, 2013
Less than 24 hours from now, the government takeover of health care will begin implementation—unless Congress acts to stop Obamacare.
Over the weekend, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to delay the unpopular law’s implementation by one year. Although the plan falls short of defunding Obamacare, Heritage Action for America called the delay “a step towards preventing the law’s entitlements from taking root.”
Lawmakers also approved a measure to repeal Obamacare’s tax on medical devices and ensure that the U.S. military would continue to get paid in the event of a government shutdown tomorrow.
With so much at stake, all eyes are on President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), who must decide if they will force Obamacare on the American people —harming individual citizens, our country’s health care system and our economy.
Throughout the debate over defunding Obamacare, an increasing number of Americans have spoken out against the unfair, unworkable, and unaffordable law.
One of them is Larry Patterson, who is concerned about the impact on his employees at his Texas-based Glass Doctor franchise.
“My men and women work hard,” Patterson told us. “They work in a very dangerous industry. … And as hard as they work, they should be able to afford health insurance.”
>>> Listen what Larry has to say about Obamacare
Patterson puts his money where his mouth is: Since its inception, his Glass Doctor franchise has provided its employees with health insurance. And like so many other small businesses, he didn’t need a mandate to do so—just the power of the free market.
But with costs set to soar thanks to Obamacare’s mandates and regulations, many companies’ ability to continue providing employees with affordable coverage is in jeopardy.
As a result of Obamacare’s looming cost increases, Patterson’s company, like so many other businesses across America, is “frozen”—unable to invest in its future.
Patterson can’t answer the type of questions that are critical to continued growth: Do we buy three trucks or eight trucks? Do we add more employees, or cut back?
That kind of uncertainty is poisonous to economic growth, and already, for America’s employers, investment is grinding to a halt. And that’s bad news for workers.
All of these issues—rising costs, frozen investment, and fears about being able to offer employees the coverage he believes they deserve—have fueled Patterson’s decision to speak out against Obamacare. One concern, however, trumps the others: As a father, Patterson is worried about the type of country he will pass on to his children.
“If I let go of my core principles,” Patterson wonders, “What am I teaching my kids?”
To protect his business, his employees, and his family’s future, Patterson wants to defund Obamacare—and believes his fellow Americans must do the same. Now is the time, Patterson believes, “to draw a line in the sand and say no, our country is too important [to allow Obamacare to be implemented.].”
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