Lankford Statement on Court Ruling Against Individual Mandate

Congressman James Lankford (R-OK) issued the following statement after the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act as unconstitutional.

"This is another giant step in the mounting judicial opinion that the Affordable Care Act far exceeds the historic constitutional boundary of federal jurisdiction," said Congressman Lankford. "Our nation was based on the simple principle that each individual has responsibility under God to care for their own family and business. The federal government cannot mandate every action of life and commerce. The key issue is not about healthcare; it is about the role of the federal government.

"I have joined other members of the House to demand that implementation of the Affordable Care Act be stopped until the Supreme Court can give our nation the final ruling on this job-killing mandate. Every state and private business is struggling to implement a law that will certainly be overturned next year by the Supreme Court, which will throw our economy into turmoil once again.

"Americans are frustrated with the divisiveness of the health care directives, and I join them in calling for this law to be fully repealed and replaced with real reforms and patient-centered solutions."

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