The chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia applauded the members of his party – and five Democrats – in the state Senate who voted to advance bills rejecting what he calls the “health care nightmare” currently in negotiations in Washington, D.C.
Pat Mullins
Republican Party Chairman Pat Mullins applauded the Senate’s approval of three bills rejecting any individual mandate to buy health insurance that could result from a health reform bill approved by both chambers of Congress. The Virginia bills were authored by Republican senators Stephen H. Martin (SB 311), Frederick M. Quayle (SB 283) and Jill Holtzman Vogel (SB 417).
The three bills passed in the Senate 23-17 today (Feb. 1). Five Democrats opposed the measure: Charles Colgan (29th District), R. Edward Houck (17th District), John Miller (1st District), Phillip Puckett (38th District) and Roscoe Reynolds (20th District).
“When Republicans asked Senate Democrats to join them in standing up against federal overreach, five decided to put the rights of their constituents ahead of the wishes of Washington, D.C.,” Mullins said in a statement regarding the bills.
All three measures ban any federal mandates for coverage, as well as exempt state residents from any “penalty, assessment, fee or fine” as a result of failing to secure insurance.
“Even Democrats in the Virginia Senate realize that the health care nightmare being negotiated behind closed doors across the Potomac is bad news for their constituents,” Mullins said.
He singled out the state’s Democratic congressmen, Reps. Tom Perriello and Gerry Connolly, who supported the House’s bill to establish a public health insurance option to compete with private insurers in a federal marketplace and an individual mandate.
“[Today’s] vote shows again that Reps. Perriello, Connolly and the rest of the Democrats in Washington, D.C., aren’t listening to their employers – the voters of the Commonwealth of Virginia,” he said.
The bills now advance to the Virginia House for its approval.
Va. Republicans applaud passage of bills rejecting health mandates via IFAwebnews.com .
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