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State GOP Legislators Again Try to Derail Obamacare

capitol.tn.gov

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT)  --  Bills have been filed in the Tennessee legislature that are intended to restrict access to health insurance through President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare.

The Tennessean reports that Wednesday Sen. Mae Beavers and fellow Republican Rep. Mark Pody, put forward a measure that would make it illegal for state and local officials to “assist in implementing” the Affordable Care Act. It would also prohibit the state, local governments and state schools from buying coverage for their employees through the ACA’s online insurance exchanges.

Republican Rep. Joe Carr of Lascassas says he supports the bill.

“We literally have tens-of-thousands of Tennesseans who’ve been knocked off their good health insurance plans by virtue of Obamacare, we’ve got tens-of-thousands of Tennesseans who’ve seen their premiums double, and we’ve got thousands and thousands of employers who are now being burdened with the extra expense of a health care program that’s destined to fail and cannot work.”

Democratic State Party Chair Roy Herron says Republicans in the legislature are denying the working-class what legislators already have.

“The law makers and the law breakers have health care; the politicians and the prisoners have government health care; who doesn’t have health care are the working people of the state and that’s not right.”

The legality of the bills will be a major question going forward. In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled the essential elements of the Affordable Care Act constitutional.