An effort to challenge the nation’s health care overhaul in court is moving through Tennessee’s House of Representatives. The bill’s supporters say health insurance regulation is a matter of state’s rights rather than federal authority.
The Health Freedom Act calls for the state Attorney General to oppose the Obama administration’s health care revamp.
About a hundred Tea Party supporters gathered in the hall outside, watching on monitors as a House subcommittee debated the matter. They tried to howl down lawmakers who questioned the proposal, as when Democratic Representative Joanne Favors spoke.
Favors: “Nobody is going to lose their rights… nobody …”
crowd: (jeers, boos)
individual in crowd: “LIAR! YOU LIE!”
Mike Bell is the bill’s sponsor. The Republican from McMinn County contends the federal government cannot require an individual to buy a health care policy.
“Since this country was founded, there has been a struggle between the federal government and the state government over rights, and over what rights the states have. And I’m not giving up that we still hold some rights at the state level. And I’m pushing this bill to affirm those rights.”
The measure goes to the House Commerce Committee next Tuesday. It has already passed the state Senate.
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The bill is HB 3433 Bell/SB 3496 Beavers, the Health Freedom Act. The bill passed the Senate Feb. 17.
About 100 members of the loosely organized “Tea Party coalition” celebrated in the hallway outside the room where the House Industrial Impact Subcommittee was meeting. Many of the same folks had been there the week before.
After several outbursts as other bills were acted upon, the chairman, Sparta Democrat Charlie Curtiss, tried to calm down the onlookers. Mt. Juliet Representative Susan Lynn was proposing a bill almost identical to the earlier measure from Mike Bell:
Lynn: “Largely the Medicare, Medicaid programs have largely distorted the health care market, and caused health care prices to escalate tremendously…”
Onlookers in hall: “YEA! YEA! “(clapping)
Curtiss: “… mention to those in the hall to hold down any racket, unnecessary…”
Such outbursts are rare in the Legislative Plaza. A half dozen state troopers lined the halls but did little except keep a three-foot wide pathway open down the middle of the crowd.
Other bills addressing the same concerns passed out, including:
HB 2622 Lynn/SB 2560 Black, Prohibit legislature from requiring a person to participate in a health care plan.
The subcommittee approved it to the cheers of the Tea Partiers, although Representative Joe McCord tried to point out that the bill is dead in the Senate.
The subcommittee also approved HJR 0745 Lynn, a state constitutional amendment to prohibit laws or rules that would require any person, employer or health care provider to participate in a particular health care system.
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