Arkansas Republicans Opposing ObamaCare Insurance Mandates

Bill Smith, Editor: Elected Arkansas Republicans both state and federal are moving to take on ObamaCare. While there has been lots of rhetoric, except for Rep. John Boozman's prior stands opposing ObamaCare, little has been accomplished. However, as the below comments illustrated, newly elected Arkansans from the state level to the federal leval are prepared to take on ObamaCare. Because of provision where upcoming legislative members may pre-file proposed Arkansas bills, the first salvo has been made by a Conway resident.

David Meeks (R) of Conway is an Army veteran and worked in the private health care insurance industry and was elected as Arkansas State Representative for District 46. Meeks pre-filed HB 1053, "An Act To Ensure Freedom Of Choice In Health Care For All Arkansans; And To Prevent Involuntary Enrollments In Health Care Insurance Programs."

Dennis Altes (R) is a co-sponsor of the bill. He is a Fort Smith businessman and Army veteran who has served as an Arkansas State Representative and State Senator. Altes has already served since 2003 as Arkansas State Senator for District 13 and was elected as an Arkansas State Representative for District 63.

The goal of the bill is to block the mandatory requirement to buy health insurance under "Obamacare" or to suffer a monetary penalty for failure to do so. The federal health care law requires Americans to carry health insurance through an employer, a government program, or by buying their own policy. The federal health care insurance mandate is schedluded to take affect in 2014.

During the 2010 campaigns, candidate now Lt. Governor-elect Mark Darr said he would file or join other States' lawsuits to repeal of federal health care law. During a visit by Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder, Darr said, "As Lieutenant Governor I will stand with the nearly 70 percent of Arkansas citizens who oppose the national health-care system and fight its unfunded and unconstitutional mandates on our citizens,”

US Representative-elect Tim Griffin, R-AR-2nd District, an Army JAG officer and Iraq War Veteran, has signed signed a pledge to repeal the federal health care bill.

US Representative-elect Rick Crawford, R-AR1-District, an Army veteran, has signed signed a pledge to repeal the federal health care bill.

US Representative-elect Steve Womack, R-AR-3 District, an Army NG officer, has said he will push for repealing or de-funding the federal health care bill.

US Senator-elect and presently US Rep. for Arkansas third District John Boozman (R) in early 2010 signed on to repealing the federal health care bill. Boozman has worked in the medical field as a doctor of optometry and co-founder of Boozman-Hof Regional Eye Clinic in Rogers. He remains committed to supporting the repeal of ObamaCare and previously said, "Arkansans have spoken out against a government takeover of healthcare. They don’t want Washington making decisions that should be left to them and their physicians and they don’t want to be forced to buy government approved insurance. The more we learn about ObamaCare the more Americans realize that it’s bad for business. While I support improving and reforming our health care system, I believe this is an overreach of government and we need to find common sense solutions that contain costs while providing the health care all Americans deserve.”

Elections have consequences and the people of Arkansas as well as the majority of Americans oppose the federal health care law.  It is time to repeal this law, and if it cannot be repealed due to a Presidential veto, it needs to be de-funded by Congress.

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