Calif. GOP Urges State AG Brown To Join Suit Against Reform Bill
On Tuesday, Republican state senators urged California Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) to join other states and sue the federal government over the health care reform bill (HR 3590) recently signed into law by President Obama, the AP/Ventura County Star reports.
Attorneys general in 13 states have already filed a lawsuit against the legislation, arguing that Congress cannot force people to buy any product, including health insurance.
On Tuesday, the Republican lawmakers called the measure unconstitutional and a violation of the commerce clause.
Brown's Response
Brown said he has instructed his office to review the senators' claims.
In a statement, he noted that 12 of the 13 attorneys general who have filed lawsuits are Republican. Brown said, "Health care is not the place, with people's lives at stake, to engage in poisonous partisanship."
Brown, a former two-term governor, is running once again for the state's top executive post.Â
GOP Gubernatorial Candidates
Republicans seeking their party's nomination for governor -- state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman -- said that they oppose the health care reform legislation and would support a state lawsuit (Bussewitz, AP/Ventura County Star, 3/23).
Schwarzenegger
A spokesperson for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) said that the governor has not indicated whether he wants to join the lawsuit but that he is concerned about the cost burden on states.
Constitutional Amendment
Meanwhile, California Republican lawmakers are supporting a constitutional amendment that would require voter approval of any program -- state or federal -- that requires health care coverage (Russ, Capitol Public Radio, 3/23).
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