Cornyn, Cruz, Sessions File Brief in Support of Obamacare Challenge

WASHINGTON, DC -- This week, U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) and U.S. Congressman Pete Sessions (TX-32) and his colleagues filed an amicus brief and joined a court challenge to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, specifically challenging the legality of that law. The PPACA, which effectively originated as legislation in the Senate, raises revenue through the individual mandate, which violates the Constitutional clause that requires any bill which raises revenue to originate in the House of Representatives.

“The President has changed the law six ways to Sunday in order to satisfy political donors, provide breaks to Big Labor, and ignore his own deadlines. One of the only provisions left intact also happens to violate the Constitution,” said Sen. Cornyn.  “The individual mandate is a tax on the American people, and it coerces them into purchasing health care they don’t want.  I’m proud to join in filing this brief to overturn this unconstitutional law.”

“The Constitution’s Origination Clause requires that all revenue raising bills originate in the House of Representatives.  Harry Reid and Senate Democrats tried to sidestep this Clause through legislative gimmicks,” said Sen. Cruz.  “Obamacare is a revenue raising bill that originated in the Senate, and it is therefore unconstitutional.  I am honored to fight for all Texans in this lawsuit, as Obamacare’s illegal mandates are crippling businesses across Texas and all of America.”

“If Obamacare’s individual mandate is in fact a tax on the American people, Obamacare clearly violates the Constitution because it originated in the Senate,” said Congressman Pete Sessions. “I am proud to join with my colleagues in both chambers to show our support for this important case that should put an end to Obamacare.  I took an oath of office to protect the Constitution that I take seriously and I call on the judiciary to do the same.”

The full brief is available here.

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