TRENTON — The state Senate today approved a resolution urging Gov. Chris Christie not to join 20 other states in a lawsuit against the federal health care reform law. Christie has faced pressure from conservative activists to join the suit, which argues the law’s penalty on individuals for not buying insurance is unconstitutional. Senate Democrats, in turn, responded with...
Gov. Chris Christie answers questions on his proposed budget during a meeting with the Star-Ledger editorial board, in this file photo.TRENTON — The state Senate today approved a resolution urging Gov. Chris Christie not to join 20 other states in a lawsuit against the federal health care reform law.
Christie has faced pressure from conservative activists to join the suit, which argues the law’s penalty on individuals for not buying insurance is unconstitutional. Senate Democrats, in turn, responded with the resolution, which points out that Christie was able to restore proposed cuts to subsidized senior drug programs in part with money allocated from the law.
Christie has not said whether he plans to join the suit. Most of the states challenging the law have either Republican governors or elected Republican attorneys general.
“You can’t have it both ways. You can’t be for the senior citizens and use the Obama health care plan to fund their programs and then challenge it in court,” said state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), a sponsor.
Previous coverage:
• N.J. Senate committee urges Gov. Christie to avoid lawsuit fighting U.S. health care
• Poll shows N.J. residents are divided over U.S. health care law
• N.J. conservatives pressure Gov. Christie, Attorney General Dow to challenge U.S. health care bill
• N.J. doctors group files suit to overturn U.S. health care legislation