by Clint Bolick
The federal health care bill is one of the most sweeping invasions of individual liberty in American history. Two weeks ago, the Goldwater Institute filed a lawsuit to bring down the law and restore your right to make your own health care decisions.
The lead plaintiff is Nick Coons, who owns a small computer sales and repair business in Tempe. Mr. Coons pays his health care expenses out of his own pocket, so that he can invest every possible dollar in expanding his business. When he gets older, Mr. Coons plans to purchase a high-deductable health insurance policy that would cover a catastrophic accident or illness.
Neither of those options is allowed under the new federal law. Starting in 2014, Mr. Coons will be forced to purchase government-approved health insurance – covering far more than he needs. If he refuses, he will have to pay a stiff penalty to the IRS every year.
Our lawsuit, Coons v. Geithner, argues that forcing Mr. Coons to buy government-mandated health insurance violates his constitutional rights and exceeds the limited powers of Congress.
Joining Mr. Coons in this lawsuit are 29 state legislators and three members of Congress who are prevented by the health care bill from providing meaningful oversight or voting solely in the best interest of Arizona citizens. I’ll explain more about those issues in future articles.
The title of my most recent book, David’s Hammer, depicts the judicial gavel as a force that can be wielded by ordinary Americans to bring down government oppression. If ever we needed that hammer, it is now.
Clint Bolick is director of the Goldwater Institute Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation.
