HARRISBURG, March 28, 2012 — State Sen. Anthony H. Williams today blasted today’s vote prohibiting the individual mandate portion of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as partisan attack on the uninsured and a waste of taxpayers’ time.
The Affordable Care Act includes a provision that would require uninsured individuals to purchase health coverage. Senate Bill 10, which was approved by a 29-19 vote, would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to prohibit this individual mandate.
“We didn’t improve the quality of life of one Pennsylvanian through this vote,” Williams said. “Thousands of Pennsylvanians are without a job and without health coverage. We as a commonwealth should do something positive for those vulnerable citizens. We should focus our priorities on those individuals and give them a hand up, rather than engage in a divisive issue that likely will not matter, since the federal law trumps state law.”
Senate Bill 10 now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration. In order to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution, the legislation would need approval from the Senate and House during two consecutive legislative sessions, followed by approval from Pennsylvania voters.