One Year Later: States Triumph Over Federal Mandate

(Juneau) - One year ago, President Obama succeeded in pushing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) through Congress, ignoring the concerns voiced by the American people. Since then, legislative members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) have played key roles in galvanizing state pushback against ObamaCare and preserving citizens' freedom of choice.

It's time for state legislators to keep up the pressure. We simply cannot afford the heavy expenditures demanded by the new federal regulations.
~ Rep. Carl Gatto

Resistance against ObamaCare has been determined and widespread. Twenty-six states are suing the federal government for unconstitutional mandates, eight states have passed legislation against ObamaCare, and over 1,000 waivers have already been granted. Alaska is one of the states suing the federal government for unconstitutional mandates. In January, the United States House of Representatives voted to repeal ObamaCare, and public opposition to the new health restrictions remains strong.

HB 1, the Alaska Health Freedom Act, was introduced this year by sponsor Representative Carl Gatto. HB 1 affirms the right of all Alaskans to choose their own "mode of securing health care services," while protecting their constitutional rights under the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Alaska.

"It's time for state legislators to keep up the pressure," said Representative Carl Gatto. "We simply cannot afford the heavy expenditures demanded by the new federal regulations. ObamaCare still has a lot of potential to damage our economy and our healthcare system, but is failing. States will triumph over this unprecedented federal mandate on behalf of our citizens."

Legislators in 43 states have introduced or announced their intention to introduce ALEC's Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act, model legislation designed to block an individual mandate and protect patients' rights.

* Information provided by ALEC was used in this release.