Bill Would Save $10 Billion; Uphold Constitutional Rights

Washington, D.C.– Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference, announced today that she has introduced legislation that would prohibit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from hiring new employees to enforce the unconstitutional individual health care mandate that was included in last year’s health care law. 

“As two federal judges have already ruled, the individual mandate is clearly unconstitutional, and the IRS – just like every government agency – has a duty to uphold the Constitution,” said Rep. McMorris Rodgers.  “Our bill will protect the constitutional right of every American to decide what health care is best for themselves and their families, while also saving taxpayers about $10 billion by preventing yet another unnecessary increase in the number of government employees.” 

As part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, taxpayers are required to purchase health care insurance by 2014 or face penalties of roughly $325 per individual that the IRS would collect.  The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office predicts the IRS will need roughly $10 billion over the next 10 years and nearly 17,000 new employees to meet its responsibilities under the law.  Rep. McMorris Rodgers’s bill, H.R. 434 would prevent the IRS from using any funds – now or in the future – to hire new employees to enforce the mandate.

This week, Judge Roger Vinson became the second federal judge to declare the individual mandate unconstitutional.   Twenty-seven states are challenging the constitutionality of the individual mandate in court.

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