Doherty & McHose Ask Dow to Join Anti-Obamacare Lawsuit

March 30, 2010

Contact: Bill Murray / (609) 292-5199
Assemblywoman Alison McHose (R-24), Senator Mike Doherty (R-23)

Conservative leaders Call on Attorney General to Make NJ the 15th State; Receive Praise from Congressman Garrett

Senator Mike Doherty and Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose today called on New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow to join Attorneys General in 14 other states in a lawsuit that holds that the $940 billion federal health care package signed into law this week is unconstitutional. No Republican in either house of Congress supported the bill.

Attorneys General in Florida, Virginia, South Carolina, Nebraska, Texas, Utah, Alabama, Louisiana, Colorado, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Washington, Idaho, South Dakota have already filed suit.

“We will not permit the constitutional rights of our citizens and the sovereignty of our state to be ignored or disregarded, ” Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum said. The newly elected Attorney General of Virginia, Ken Cuccinelli, has also filed suit.

“This is far removed from what our country’s founders envisioned,” said Senator Doherty (R-Warren, Hunterdon), adding, “It is fundamentally flawed and will be found unconstitutional.”

“New Jersey simply cannot afford what this bill mandates,” said Assemblywoman McHose (R-Sussex, Morris, Hunterdon). “Besides which, people shouldn’t be dictated to by government. They deserve a choice.”

The two conservative leaders will be reaching out directly to Governor Chris Christie with their request.

In addition, yesterday Congressman Scott Garrett (R-5) introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives today recognizing the efforts of state legislatures, Attorneys General and citizens to resist the implementation of the Obama health care bill.

Senator Doherty and Assemblywoman McHose have both introduced the “Health Care Freedom Amendment” in their respective houses (SCR-81 and ACR-109). The proposed amendment would change Article I of the State Constitution to include “No State or federal law or regulation shall compel, directly or indirectly, any person to obtain health care coverage, any employer to provide health care coverage to its employees, or any health care provider to participate in any health care coverage plan or program.”

“Assemblywoman McHose and I appreciate our work in protecting the rights of New Jerseyans being recognized in a Resolution introduced by our friend and Congressman Scott Garrett. Hopefully Congressman Garrett will be adding New Jersey’s Attorney General to that list.”