Texas Establishment Unhappy With Health Care Ruling
The Supreme Court's ruling on the federal health care act upset a lot of Texas politicians. Photo courtesy flickr.com/brendelThe Supreme Court’s ruling on health care has sent a shock wave through the Texas political establishment, which overwhelmingly opposes the Affordable Care Act.
“I’ve already been really nervous about a bunch of unelected judges who have the ability to decide what our freedoms are going to be,” Gov. Rick Perry said on Fox News. “Our constitution clearly states what those are going to be, and we’re seeing them whittled away.”
Sen. John Cornyn, speaking on the floor of the U.S. Senate, said lawmakers should repeal the Affordable Care Act.
“We all share the goal of expanding health care coverage, but there are good ways and bad ways to do it,” Cornyn said. “The authors of Obamacare chose a fundamentally flawed way, yet another government takeover.”
Some medical providers in Austin are applauding the court’s decision. Family medicine specialist Lisa Doggett — daughter of Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin — has focused on care for the uninsured for almost 10 years.
“I do think it’s going to be helpful for a lot of people who I see in my clinic to be able to have access to more services and to insurance, but I also don’t know if our political leaders in Texas are going to allow the expansion of Medicaid that’s part of this law,” Doggett said.
That’s another big question for Texas. The Supreme Court struck down a provision that would have punished states for not participating in the expansion of Medicaid. In Texas, that expansion would mean almost 2 million more people could qualify for Medicaid by the end of the decade.
