Rep. Roy Issues Statement on Obamacare's Individual Mandate

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, issued the following statement regarding the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on Obamacare's individual mandate:

"Today, Judge Reed O'Connor's correct analysis - that a zeroed-out fake Obamacare "tax" renders it a mandate - was upheld by the 5th Circuit. It was remanded for further analysis on sever-ability - but suffice it to say, the plaintiffs can only be made whole if the regulations driving up the cost of their care and impacting them directly are not severed.

"In that case, the law is inviolated in its entirety, or close thereto. The Judge is owed an apology by the nay-saying hand-wringers in the swamp and in intellectual circles who laughed off his reasoned and proper analysis.

"Now, we are on notice in Congress that the law is likely to fall. For that, we should all be thankful. Millions of Americans are suffering from the higher cost of healthcare and the loss of coverage they were promised they could keep.

"We should make sure that in 2020 we run on healthcare freedom for a mandate to drive down prices for all Americans, so that no American is left unable to get healthcare due to rationing, expense, and lack of options. Healthcare freedom begins with legislation I introduced, HR3594. My bill would give Americans flexibility to manage own their own healthcare, allow employers to contribute to expanded Health Freedom Accounts, and remove both government and insurance bureaucrats from between them and their doctors."