Bergquist letter: No mandatory health care

What authority does the Constitution give the federal government to be involved in any way with health care or health insurance? Why not repeal PPACA (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or Obamacare) in its entirety and let the Free Market actually be free to work? Sen. Mike Crapo is promoting the American Health Care Act (AHCA), providing states with $100 billion to “design programs,” and give certain Americans “monthly tax credits.” That certainly sounds like another social welfare program, Obamacare Light, imposed at the federal level with financial incentives designed to bind the states to them.

If Idahoans wants to do something about health care that’s up to us. But, we must eliminate the monster created at the federal level, not simply replace it with another kinder, gentler monster. Sen. Mike Crapo, representing us, simply doesn’t have authority to do this, if following the Constitution he’s taken an oath to uphold.

Are we as citizens no longer capable of, or allowed to make, intelligent or unintelligent decisions on our own without the help of the nanny state? I would love in my “life” to have “liberty” restored to my “pursuit of happiness.” Please just repeal Obamacare, and replace it with nothing. That’s called liberty.

This story was originally published March 21, 2017 at 11:54 PM with the headline "Bergquist letter: No mandatory health care."