“By allowing Massachusetts’ historic healthcare law, passed in 2006, to be co-opted by a federal law, we are taking a step backwards. The legislation passed today will have detrimental impacts on small business and residents alike. Entrepreneurs in this state will see crippling tax increases, and taxpayers will pay significantly more for their health coverage.
Furthermore, I am astonished by the about-face of the Democratic majority over the course of seven months. Just last fall, while campaigning on behalf of President Obama, many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle sought to link the federal healthcare law to the law passed by Governor Romney. They claimed that the state’s plan was the model for the federal law. Contrary to these claims, today’s debate and this legislation provide a stark reminder of the difference between the state and federal law.
There is no disputing the fact that the Commonwealth has experienced growing pains with our own healthcare law, and we continue to work to address those issues. However, Governor Patrick and our Congressional delegation have done our state a great disservice by not advocating for enough flexibility in the federal plan to allow Massachusetts to continue in our ‘great experiment.’”
