Yesterday Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) took to the House floor in opposition to House Resolution 2, the Repealing the Job Killing Health Care Law Act. Arguing the unconstitutionality of the repeal she said:
Can you tell me what’s more unconstitutional than taking away from the people of America their Fifth Amendment rights, their Fourteenth Amendment rights, and the right to equal protection under the law?
Watch the whole video below:
Wow. Earlier, during the committee hearing she made her “argument” on how this bill “violates the 14th Amendment.”
First off, there is no constitutional right to health insurance. Her use of the 5th Amendment is well, completely asinine. Saying that we taxpayers are not going to pay for somebody else’s health insurance is not an equivalent to facing capital punishment or imprisonment without the due process of law.
Now one could (hypothetically) make an argument that being fined by the federal government for refusing to purchase individual health insurance, as seen in their mandate, is a violation of the 5th Amendment. Those people are being deprived of property (their money) without due process of law. That certainly wouldn’t be the best argument challenging the constitutionality of Obamacare, but it makes more sense than what Congresswoman Jackson Lee is spouting off.
Invoking the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause because some Americans would be left as uninsured is ridiculous. An inability to pay for health care coverage doesn’t apply. Repealing the health care law would equally apply to everyone.
She concluded by saying, “I’m prepared to stand, extend a hand of friendship, standing on the Constitution to enable us to provide for all the citizens of this country. This bill has been vetted. This bill is constitutional and it protects the Constitutional rights of those who ask the question: ‘Must I die? Must my child die, because I am now disallowed from getting insurance?’"
The bill has been vetted? How much would you like to bet she hasn’t even read it? I think that having members of Congress read the Constitution out loud was lost on her since she’s just going to make up what it means anyway.
Hey Houston… you guys can do better than this in 2012.
HT: Fox Nation