Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

18 months ago, the political representatives of the American people passed an odious piece of legislation magnanimously titled The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Prior to its passage, we were told by then Speaker of Our House, Nancy Pelosi that we would have to wait until the bill was passed to see what was in it. This statement alone should be enough to have the bill declared unconstitutional, regardless of its contents. It should cause all freedom loving Americans to rise up and demand that it be repealed. Any politician making such a statement should be immediately subjected to a Congressional investigation for ethics and questioned on their subversive tendencies. One would hope that the constituents of the offending politician’s jurisdiction would arise and call for the resignation and subsequent special election for the replacement of that departing mis-representative.

Unfortunately, thus far, none of this has been the case. We rush ever forward to full implementation of this invasive, intrusive, inquisitorial attempt to legislate every aspect of the lives of Americans.

If this bill, now law, is allowed to stand, the Federal Government’s creep into the private affairs of the lives of every American will be metamorphosed into a headlong rush to cessation of the rights of individuals.

Apart from the individual mandate that requires every American able to do so to purchase health care—a case of Congress grossly misappropriating powers through willing and eager circumvention of the Commerce Clause, and thus unconstitutional—this law will allow the government to control virtually every aspect of our lives.

Take, for instance, the 30 million or more people currently unwilling, or unable to obtain health insurance on their own. Most, if not all of these individuals will be placed into one of the government subsidized medical coverage plans, most likely medicaid. As with all government entitlements, this program is funded by the tax payers which translates to another reduction in personal income.

Most businesses with 50 or more employees will be forced to pay out additional capital to help fund coverage for these people. Or at least to help defer the costs of the additional bureaucracies created to oversee compliance, eligibility, treatment, record keeping, disbursement and favored political standing. Regardless of the final distribution of these funds, the end result is a reduction of operating capital for these affected businesses. Less capital equals less innovation, less expansion, less employment, less business. Basic economics in action.

In the future, as additional efforts to control costs become necessary, those that represent us in government will find it an easy step to pass new laws regarding every aspect of our lives, all conveniently wrapped in justifying reducing health care costs, both real and potential. Cars will need to be safer. Food will need to be healthier. Air will need to be cleaner. Compliance will need to be policed. In short, government interference across the entire spectrum of individual choice.

I for one do not care to have unbridled reform and rampant regulation become the norm. Yet, if the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is allowed to become a permanent fixture in the law of the land, that is exactly where we are headed.