Attorney General Schneider Joins Multi-State Health Care Lawsuit

January 18, 2011

Attorney General Schneider Joins Multi-State Health Care Lawsuit

AUGUSTA ? At the request of Maine Attorney General William Schneider, the State of Florida will today move the federal court to allow Maine and several other states to join the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of certain provisions of the federal health care reform law.

?As Attorney General I took an oath to protect the people of Maine. Health care in the United States is at a critical point and needs to be fixed so that all citizens have access to good quality and affordable health care. However, the repairs to the system cannot be based on an unconstitutional foundation. The federal health care reform law mandates all citizens to purchase health insurance or pay a costly penalty. This would be an unprecedented expansion of federal power, violating the 10th Amendment and Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution. I hope the court will allow Maine to join this important lawsuit and settle the constitutionality of whether the federal government can force all citizens to purchase or maintain health insurance,? said Attorney General Schneider.

Attorney General Schneider believes that the court will decide within several weeks whether to allow the states to join the lawsuit. If successful, the lawsuit will eliminate only the unconstitutional portions of the health reform law. Joining the lawsuit has had a negligible cost to the people of Maine, contrary to estimates that have appeared in the press.

CONTACT: Martha Demeritt (207) 626-8599