REP. DIANE BLACK, U.S. House TN District 6
Monday, July 2, 2012 1:05 pm

I vehemently disagree with the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the President’s health care law. This flawed decision sets a dangerous precedent for the reach of the federal government’s power. But one thing this decision does not change is the need for Congress to repeal Obamacare - immediately.

President Obama’s signature legislative achievement, Obamacare, is a tax hike on middle class Americans. And it is lethal to our economy, health care and future. That is why, since I took the oath of office in 2010, I have been fighting every day to fully repeal Obamacare, and I will not rest until that goal is achieved. In fact, on July 11th the House has scheduled a vote to once again fully repeal Obamacare. I will proudly be casting my vote in favor of full repeal.

Against the tide of public opinion and common sense, the Democrat-controlled Senate and the White House have continued to block dozens of House-passed bills to defund or repeal Obamacare. Nevertheless, the most conservative lawmakers in Congress have not been deterred by their irrational obstructionism. Our determination has resulted in a few key victories in the fight to dismantle Obamacare. I authored and passed a bill repealing a portion of Obamacare, saving taxpayers $13 billion dollars. I am determined to see Obamacare fully repealed and defunded, even if it means tackling it piece by piece.

Obamacare has been a disaster for the US economy. Currently, 23 million Americans are either unemployed or under employed. Unemployment has been above 8 percent for the last 40 consecutive months; however, according to President Obama, “recovery summer” started two years ago, but where are the jobs, Mr. President?

The fact is Obamacare’s new regulations, taxes and mandates are crushing our already weak economy. Three-quarters of small businesses, the bedrock of America’s economy, say the law is preventing them from hiring people. That has left millions of middle class Americans jobless and without a way to provide for their family.

On top of the economic damage, the law ensures trillions of dollars in new government spending. This unprecedented expansion of the federal government is financed by tax hikes and higher deficits on top of our nearly 16 trillion dollar debt.

All this and health care costs are still going through the roof! Study after study shows that premiums will continue to rise and take up more and more of Americans’ paychecks. To make matters worse, millions of Americans will be dropped from their employers’ health insurance plans and pushed onto government-run health insurance, resulting in even more deficit spending.

As a nurse for over 40 years, I am convinced that Obamacare is the wrong medicine for our health care system. It is driving up health care costs and stifling innovation – all the while it is killing jobs and accelerating our debt crisis. This is an assault on the American Dream and our nation’s founding principles. Anything short of full repeal is unacceptable. With the right leadership in Washington, I am confident we can repeal and replace this disastrous law.

Our health care system needs common-sense reforms that put patients and their doctors in the driver’s seat, rather than unelected bureaucrats in Washington, DC. To lower health care costs and increase accessibility to quality health care, we need policies that allow private sector competition, choice and innovation to flourish.

Congressman Diane Black represents Tennessee's 6th Congressional District. Before being elected to Congress in 2010, Black worked as a registered nurse for over 40 years. She currently serves on both the House Budget Committee and the Ways & Means Committee.