Stay Informed!

Notice: Undefined variable: Miscellaneous1 in /var/www/vhosts/solutionmedia.net/httpdocstemplates/BJ-detContent.php on line 13

Back to List

Josephs adds to call for attorney general to cease, desist health-care lawsuit

HARRISBURG, March 24 – State Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Phila., has added her name to the list of legislators who are calling on the attorney general to remove Pennsylvania from the lawsuit against the federal health care reform law.

On Tuesday, Attorney General Tom Corbett announced that he will join 10 other Republican attorneys general in a lawsuit seeking to overturn the federal health-care reform law signed by President Obama Tuesday. The letter that Josephs signed urges him to leave Pennsylvania out of what the signers consider to be a national political fight, rather than one of public policy.

"This lawsuit is a two-fronted assault on Pennsylvanians that will wage war on both their pocketbooks and their health, not only immediately, but also continue in the years to come," Josephs said. "If the lawsuit is successful, estimates are that it will initially cost the state $102 million in 2010-2011, and billions more later in the form of loss of federal funding, which will lead to higher taxes and less access to needed health services and programs."

Josephs also noted that it is a waste of taxpayers' money to join a suit that will be filed whether or not Pennsylvania is one of the litigants.

"If the suit is ultimately successful, Pennsylvania would be impacted by the ruling, regardless of whether the state is part of it, so I would urge Attorney General Corbett to remove himself from the lawsuit and save the state its money during this troubling economic time.

"I also expect that as the chief law enforcement officer in the state, he has more than enough responsibilities with which to occupy his time. This whole exercise in grandstanding just proves how important my bill is that would require the attorney general to resign before running for another office. We need A.G.s who want to put the bad guys in jail, not waste the hard-earned money of Pennsylvania's honest citizens."

Josephs is one of 50 lawmakers from the House and Senate to sign the letter to Corbett.

###