Rasmussen: America to Congress--> Don't Fine Us For Not Buying Health Insurance

American Voters believe in the US Constitution, even if the liberals in Congress act as if they never read it.  The Obamacare bill working its way through the U.S. Senate includes a provision that requires all Americans to either buy health insurance or pay a $750 annual penalty.  From their point of view it makes sense, because by enrolling relatively healthy younger people who might not usually purchase insurance in the plan, it helps to pay for the older people who generally need more services from health insurance.

Of course there is absolutely NOTHING in the constitution giving the federal government the power to require Americans to buy anything. The latest  Rasmussen poll reports that most Americans agree with the constitution. 55% Oppose Penalty for Not Buying Health Insurance  Just 32% of voters think young and healthy Americans should be forced to purchase health insurance or else pay a penalty. Fourteen percent (14%) are not sure.

Sixty-one percent (61%) of men oppose the enforced health insurance proposal, compared to 50% of women. African-American voters are nearly twice as likely as whites to support it.

Republicans and Independents are driving this opinion, 77% of Republicans and 59% of independents oppose requiring young and healthy Americans to either buy health insurance or pay an annual penalty. As you may expect, Democrats (46%) think the provision is a good idea, while 33% oppose it.

Millions of young people historically have chosen to avoid the cost of health insurance by gambling on their general good health at that age. The individual mandate is intended to push them into buying health insurance.

While most voters oppose the “individual mandate” amendment to the health care plan, 59% favor putting a provision in the plan that would prohibit any new taxes, fees or penalties on families who make less than $250,000 a year.

The Senate Finance Committee added the “individual mandate” to its version of Obamacare last week , but a Republican amendment forcing the POTUS to keep his word,  prohibiting new taxes on those earning less than $250,000 was defeated on a party-line vote, with just one Democratic senator in favor of it.

Sixty-one percent (61%) say it’s important for Congress to pass health care reform this year, but most would prefer a series of smaller reforms rather than a comprehensive approach. Sixty-three percent (63%) of voters say guaranteeing that no one is forced to change their health insurance coverage is a higher priority than giving consumers the choice of a "public option" health insurance company.

But right now 53% of those with health insurance say the proposed health care plan will force them to change their coverage.

My Congressman Steve Israel held a health care town hall Monday.  The people against Obamacare greatly out weighed those who favored it.  I have to give the Congressmen some credit for finally having the meeting, but his answers were straight from the White House and Full of half truths.  After a while, the audience, frustrated at the fact that the Congressman Israel was not listening to what his constituents were saying started calling Israel names, understandable but not a tactic I agree with. Shouts of -- "Stop printing money,"  "We don't care what you think,"  and "You're a moron" -- permeated the overcrowded theater. There was even standing chant of  "tort reform." over and over. The Congressman at one point pleaded with those in the crowd yelling at him to "stop calling me a liar and listen."

Congressman Israel, and others in both houses of Congress don't understand, we have listened to them enough, through a stimulus plan they passed without reading, and through a Cap and Trade plan which they didn't read fully. Its time for Congress to listen to US. America wants heath care reform, but NOT THIS health care reform, American wants you to fix the economy before you worry about health care reform and America wants its government to stop spending money like a drunken sailor on shore leave. This latest Rasmussen Poll was just one more message we are sending you.