NASHVILLE (WATE) - Tennessee Republicans expressed their disappointment Thursday and even brought up Democratic opposition after the Supreme Court upheld the vast majority of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.
The court upheld the core requirement that virtually all Americans have health insurance, saying the mandate can be construed as a tax.
"We will review the entire Supreme Court's opinion to fully understand its impact on the state of Tennessee," Gov. Bill Haslam said in a statement.
"My primary issues with Obamacare are that it takes away the flexibility for states to encourage healthy behavior, will cost Tennessee hundreds of millions of dollars, and does nothing to solve the crisis of the cost of health care in America," Haslam added.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court found problems with the law's expansion of Medicaid, but even there said the expansion could proceed as long as the federal government does not threaten to withhold states' entire Medicaid allotment if they don't take part in the law's extension.
Gov. Haslam called that decision "unanticipated," and added, "This particular portion of the ruling is significant, but it is premature to know the exact ramifications."
Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey also expressed his disappointment with the ruling, saying the Supreme Court "failed to recognize what constitutionalists and conservatives know deep in their hearts: A federal government which can coerce its people to buy a product is a government unrestrained and out of control."
Ramsey even referred to former Democrat Gov. Phil Bredesen, saying he called "Obamacare the 'mother of all unfunded mandates' that will cost Tennesseans $1.1 billion in the next few years."
Congressman John Duncan, Jr. said, "The Supreme Court has confirmed what
most knew all along – this bill is a giant tax on the American people.
If and when this law is fully implemented, it will be against the law
to not buy health insurance; and if you don't, the IRS will tax and
penalize you."
Haslam and Ramsey both called on Tennessee voters to elect Mitt Romney as president in November. They say that ensures the law will be repealed.
Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker instead called on Congress to repeal the law.
Alexander added that Congress should then "proceed step by step to reduce the cost of health care so more Americans can afford to buy insurance."
