McDonnell: Healthcare law an unconstitutional budget buster

The sooner the Supreme Court weighs in on the legality of the Obama administration’s healthcare law the better, Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-Va.) said in Saturday’s GOP address.

McDonnell said the law “shifts billions in unfunded mandates onto state governments” and pointed out a federal court in Virginia has ruled against the law’s mandate that individuals must purchase health insurance.

{mosads}“Everyone agrees that the case will ultimately be decided by the United States Supreme Court,” McDonnell said. “But now the very same Administration that was in such a rush to pass the bill, is in no hurry to find out if it’s legal. And that’s an answer we all need to know.”

McDonnell called it shocking that the Obama administration opposes an expedited appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing the administration is demonstrating a preference for “years of costly litigation in the lower courts.”

“Regardless of party, we should all agree that the sooner we know if the law is constitutional, the better for the American people,” McDonnell said.

He argued that one year after the healthcare bill was passed by Democratic majorities in Congress and signed by the president the public now views it as an expansion of federal involvement in healthcare rather than true reform.

“The result: higher costs, less innovation and freedom. That’s a prescription for serious problems at the state level, where much of this plan must be implemented,” McDonnell said.

He also pointed out the bill significantly expands states’ liabilities for Medicaid. Virginia currently spends 21 percent of its annual budget on the program with that figure expected to grow another 26 percent by 2016.