You and I both know that you could not possibly care less about the opinions of your constituents unless they are waving their wallets at you. I know this for a fact because I have been writing to you regularly for the past six years—since I was 18 years old—and have never received so much as a stock response from you.
I am an American citizen, a voter, a constituent. I watch the actions of my senators and representative on Capitol Hill closely. I expect them to not only hear but heed the voices of the people they are meant to serve.
I was pleased to hear that the House of Representatives has once again approved a repeal of ObamaCare by a 34 vote margin. However, I know that a vote by the House to repeal ObamaCare means nothing without the support of the Senate.
Because those of you on Capitol Hill failed to diligently craft this bill, appropriately read it, and carefully weigh its pros and cons—its irreversible, perhaps detrimental, effects—on everything from finding a doctor to keeping a job, premiums and the economy, before unconstitutionally shoving this non-tax tax down the throats of Americans—we have now had three long years to learn of the new law and prospect of its effects on our country.
Small and large business owners alike have expressed a fear over hiring due to the uncertainty of being able to afford their employees’ health insurance. Others have crumbled under the financial weight of taking on lawyers and accountants to help guide them through compliance of the new law. Many more have remorsefully cut their employees’ hours in order to avoid having to provide healthcare and thereby go into the red.
Religiously-run and affiliated hospitals, schools, and charities have voiced deep concern over having to violate their most basic moral principles in order to comply with a controversial aspect of ObamaCare. They have warned that they may have to halt the services they provide, putting hundreds of thousands of Americans out of work and many more needy citizens and immigrants denial of those services. They have filed suit after suit against the Obama Administration for violating their First Amendment rights. My alma mater dropped its insurance services for students and faculty all together, rather than disobey a fundamental tenet of their dogma.
Individuals—the same American citizens who have been hesitant about ObamaCare from the get-go, who begged and pleaded with their representatives and senators to slow down, to read the bill, to act with prudence—are statistically more opposed to the new healthcare law than ever before. According to recent Rasmussen polls, 55% view ObamaCare unfavorably, 59% favor free market over government-run healthcare, 72% favor individual choice for healthcare, and 35% say ObamaCare has hurt them while only 19% say that ObamaCare has helped them.
I have already seen a rise in my health insurance premium and my healthcare provider cited ObamaCare as the reason for the rate increase.
Even more problematic is the estimated cost of ObamaCare: some two trillion dollars. Chump change, in comparison to our current national debt, but a staggering cost in comparison to what we were promised. Additionally, our already overly-complicated tax-code will become even more complicated, resulting in burdening taxpayers with new bureaucrats and IRS agents—you know, the same IRS currently wrought with scandal over the targeting, profiling, and discrimination of conservatives, Jews, and Latinos.
And let us not forget that Congress has previously discussed exempting themselves from ObamaCare.
Senator, it is pretty simple: if ObamaCare is not good enough for you, then it is not good enough for the American people.
Everyone agrees that healthcare needs to be reformed, but ObamaCare is not the answer. It must be repealed.
Sincerely,
SLB
