By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R) from Montgomery announced on Wednesday that she had voted in favor of legislation that would repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (usually referred to as Obamacare).
Congresswoman Roby addressed her colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives: “On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law the largest health care overhaul in the history of the United States. Sadly, it is less about providing quality health care for all citizens and more about expanding the scope of the federal government.”
Still speaking on the floor of the House, Representative Roby said, “And the law failed to address the number one health care concern that families and employers have, and that’s cost. Under the individual mandate, each individual will absolutely be penalized or taxed – we’ll call it a tax because the Supreme Court did – if in America, this free country, that person chooses to remain uninsured or purchase health care that is not government approved, and that is regardless of their income.”
In a controversial 5-4 decision the United States Supreme Court upheld most of the President’s signature legislation as constitutional. Rep. Roby acknowledged this but said, “Despite the Court’s ruling, a significant number of Americans continue to oppose Obamacare and they are encouraging Congress to take immediate action. Americans and their doctors, not federal bureaucrats and politicians, are in the best position to determine which health care options best meet their individual needs.”
Rep. Roby said, “Regardless of the Court’s decision, many problems within the law remain present, many of which have a significant impact on small businesses. The American people do not want a one-size-fits-all health care system that imposes numerous mandates, regulations, and tax hikes on employers and employees. This will be devastating not just to my home state of Alabama, but also to the nation.”
The first term Republican House member finished, “I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to improve our health care system by implementing market-based reforms that actually lower cost, increase access, and maintain high quality of care for all Americans. I urge my collages to listen to the voices of the American people and support H.R. 6097.”
The Republican controlled House passed H.R. 6079 by a vote of 244 to 185. The Repeal of Obamacare Act now goes to the Democrat controlled Senate where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) from Nevada is expected to kill the legislation like the Senate has buried much of the legislation that has been passed by the House in this session, including the federal budget.
Representative Roby is a cosponsor of the Repeal of Obamacare Act. The House introduced the measure following the Supreme Court’s decision last week to uphold the President’s Health Care law. Rep. Roby describes herself as a staunch opponent of Obamacare that has voted more than 30 times in her first term to repeal, replace, or defund the law.
Following the vote, Rep. Roby told her Twitter and Facebook friends, “I made a promise to continue to take action to repeal Obamacare. Proud to take a vote again today to repeal this harmful law:”
Rep. Roby says that she “understands the need to reform the nation’s health care system and believes it can be done by implementing market-based reforms that actually lower cost, increase access, and maintain high quality of care.”
To learn more about Rep. Roby’s position on Obamacare:
