Hard to see what sphere of an individual’s life is safe from congressional meddling after health care ruling

The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the individual mandate represents a tremendously disappointing expansion of federal power over the lives and liberties of the American people. 

By upholding the individual mandate as a proper exercise of Congress’s taxing power, it’s hard to see what sphere of an individual’s life is safe from congressional meddling.  Chief Justice Roberts admits: “If it is troubling to interpret the Commerce Clause as authorizing Congress to regulate those who abstain from commerce, perhaps it should be similarly troubling to permit Congress to impose a tax for not doing something.”  It is indeed troubling and nothing in Justice Roberts’ argument dispels this concern. 

The Court’s ruling says nothing about the wisdom of the health care overhaul.   While the law took aim at real problems in need of real solutions, it took the wrong approach.  When the law passed, nearly every credible expert admitted that it did nothing to solve the central problem with our health care system: the increasingly unaffordable cost to both families and the government.  Rather, the law irresponsibly spends federal money American taxpayers simply can’t afford.

Moving forward, America still has a chance to get health care right.  The most worrisome provisions that threaten to increase costs, lower the quality of health care, limit choices and raise taxes are all yet to be implemented.   With the Supreme Court’s ruling behind us, it’s time to reject the highly partisan path President Obama took in 2010 and, instead, start working on new bipartisan legislation to achieve the goal we all want—access to affordable, high quality health care. 

A portion of this commentary on the Supreme Court's ruling was published in the Star Tribune alongside reactions from other Minnesotans.