One of the Virginia House’s most conservative members is seeking to insulate the commonwealth from national health care mandates, submitting the first in what could be a flurry of bills to defy the federal government next session.
Del. Bob Marshall, R-Manassas, filed legislation — dubbed the “Virginia Health Care Freedom Act” — proposing to block federal requirements that would fine residents for going without health insurance. The individual mandate is included in health care overhaul legislation passed by the U.S. House, which is now under consideration by the Senate.
Marshall’s legislation would also “protect an individual’s right and power to participate or to decline to participate in a health care system or plan,” according to the bill’s summary.
“We see a threat that’s coming down the road here for individual mandates that’s got to be addressed,” Marshall said. “This is something that state legislatures have to address. And frankly, if we don’t address it, we are morally delinquent to our citizens.”
The Northern Virginia Republican is known for proposing such broad legislation, regardless of its chances for survival. And it’s uncertain whether it would even apply to the final iteration of health care legislation to emerge from Congress.
But while attempts to thwart the federal government are a perennial effort in Richmond, the General Assembly will be weighted with more anti-Washington Republicans next session than in previous years.
Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell ran on a broad anti-Obama administration platform, condemning national Democrats’ proposals on unions, health care, federal spending and the environment. Several Republican challengers for the House of Delegates ran successfully on the same message.
“I’m concerned about it because we have a number of newly elected Republicans who came in on the shoulders of the tea party crowd,” said Del. Dave Englin, D-Alexandria, referring to the conservative anti-tax movement. “I’m concerned that they’re going to want to demonstrate their right-wing chops with these folks, and they’re going to try some of those kinds of things.”
