by Dan Popkey
Idaho Statesman
12/30/09
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter on Wednesday threatened to sue the United States should health care reform become law as currently drafted in bills that passed the House and Senate.
In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Otter said the bill passed last week by the Senate is unconstitutional, expensive and inequitable to states that didn’t get special breaks. Otter said Congress is moving to sacrifice “fiscal responsibility, sound judgment and constitutionality for political expediency.”
“The astronomical costs associated with either bill will greatly impact our children and grandchildren as taxpayers shoulder the tremendous debt associated with these potential ‘solutions,’” Otter wrote.
Otter called the measure “a crushing unfunded mandate” on state and local governments and citizens. Otter, a Republican, wrote the two top Democrats in Congress. The bill cleared its highest hurdle last week when it passed the Senate on a party-line vote.
“I question the wisdom as well as the constitutionality and legality of these bills and will explore all my options, including legal action, to protect Idaho and the U.S. Constitution should Congress adopt and the President sign compromise health care legislation,” Otter wrote. “Given the bills now before the conference committee all that truly will be ‘compromised’ is our American system of government in exchange for a multi-generational legacy of debt.”
The article continues at the Idaho Statesman.
