Crisco, Winsley react to ruling on health care act

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On Thursday morning, the Supreme Court upheld, by a 5-4 vote, the individual mandate requiring citizens to have insurance or face a penalty under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) known as Obamacare. The following are statements released by state Sen. Joseph Crisco (D-17) and Republican Congressional candidate Wayne Winsley on the ruling:

Crisco embraces ruling

Joseph Crisco Jr.

HARTFORD — State Sen. Joseph Crisco, Jr. (D-17), Senate chair of the legislature’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee, today embraced the decision handed down by the U. S. Supreme Court upholding the major tenets of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA). Crisco said many aspects of healthcare reform undertaken by the federal government have already been enacted in Connecticut.

As insurance committee chairman Crisco has successfully expanded insurance coverage to include new screening and diagnostic procedures, has worked to improve consumer options and increase transparency with regard to insurance rates, and has supported economies of scale, giving more people access to coverage through insurance pooling.

“Today’s Supreme Court ruling provides dramatic reaffirmation that we’re on the right track with regard to healthcare reform in Connecticut and encourages us to recommit to the process already underway,” Crisco said. “The goal remains to provide increased access to affordable, high-quality healthcare — we believe expanding the pool of those insured sufficiently spreads risk and responsibility to control costs for individuals, families, businesses, and both private and public insurers.”

Crisco said Connecticut’s Health Insurance Exchange is another initiative meant to make information about health insurance options available to residents, and will play a key role as the state continues preparing for full ACA implementation in 2014.

“Connecticut has made great strides in its approach to improved healthcare, through preventative care, expanded options for consumers and insurance providers alike, and with optional, extended coverage for children through the age of 26,” Crisco said. “Today’s decision upholds our belief that effective healthcare reform must include all stakeholders, must be comprehensive in its scope in terms of coverage, cost, and eligibility, and perhaps most importantly of all, must be ongoing.”

Crisco added, “I heartily endorse the decision announced today and look forward to further implementation of healthcare reform in Connecticut so more residents have access to affordable, meaningful health insurance coverage.”

Winsley pledges to repeal act

Wayne Winsley

NAUGATUCK — Today, Congressional candidate for Connecticut’s Third District, Wayne Winsley, reacted to the U. S. Supreme Court decision on President Obama’s signature law, the Affordable Health Act (ACA). The justices upheld key provisions of the so-called “individual mandate” by defining the requirement to purchase insurance as being equal to a tax, which is in the power of the Congress to enact.

“I was very tempted to title this release ‘Death of a Nation,’ but the patriotic optimist within me still draws breath despite how belabored those breaths may be.

Today, by a vote of 5-4, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act is constitutional if applied as a tax. The implications of the disastrous legislation are now clear. They include:

Every American can now be slapped with what is an instant tax increase; but, if you buy the health insurance you get a full refund.

The federal government can now impose sanctions on each individual citizen in order to coerce them into a behavior desired by the government.

Our founders warned us to beware of the soft tyranny of government. That warning has not been heeded.

This election will absolutely determine the direction our Republic takes for the future. The question to be decided is ‘Will the march toward its extinction continue or will we turn the tide back toward liberty?

I pledge that when elected to Congress this November, I will join my Republican colleagues in fighting for the repeal of the ACA. This will be one of my top priorities.”