Friday, February 11, 2011
OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today announced she has joined 28 other Republican governors who sent a letter to President Obama asking him to direct the Justice Department to expedite the appeals process of the pending state lawsuits against the federal health care bill. The Republican Governor’s Association will now resubmit the letter to the White House with Fallin’s signature. Fallin had been waiting to sign the letter until concerns over the legal implications to Oklahoma’s separate lawsuit challenging the president’s health care law had been resolved.
“The federal health care reform law is unconstitutional, unworkable and unaffordable,” Fallin said. “My goal has always been to pursue the most effective challenge to the law so it can be overturned and replaced.
“After consulting with my attorney general, I have determined that fast-tracking the other legal challenges to the health care law will not negatively impact Oklahoma’s own lawsuit. I certainly continue to support the other states that are challenging the unconstitutional and economically damaging federal health care bill and I am happy to join the other governors seeking an expedited track to the Supreme Court.”
The letter states, in part: “Given the daunting and costly financial and regulatory burdens that our states and the private sector will face in implementing PPACA over the coming years, particularly during this unprecedented budgetary time, public interest requires expediting a final resolution of the litigation to give certainty as soon as possible. We should not endure years of litigation in the circuit courts, when the Supreme Court can promptly provide finality. This resolution can help prevent the states and the private sector from undertaking potentially unnecessary measures and expenses. More importantly, our businesses, health care providers, and citizens of our great nation need to know as soon as possible whether all or part of the law will be upheld or stricken, so they know their options and obligations.”
Click here to read the entire letter online.