Healthcare law hurts

The so-called Affordable Care Act should never have been passed in the first place. It is costing jobs, hurting seniors and preventing the economy from bouncing back.

The act was a bad law yesterday, and it’s a bad law today. As Chief Justice John Roberts stated, “Members of this court are vested with the authority to interpret the law; we possess neither the expertise nor the prerogative to make policy judgments. Those decisions are entrusted to our nation’s elected leaders, who can be thrown out of office if the people disagree with them. It is not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices.”

In short, the court said that the act is constitutional, but not that it’s good policy or good for the country.

Gallup found that 48 percent of small businesses are not hiring because of the potential costs of the ACA. Those are businesses that could be hiring right now, and they aren’t.

I’ve met with more than 100 northern Illinois business owners, and what I hear is consistent: this law’s many mandates and taxes are causing them to either not hire, or hire temporary workers instead of permanent ones.

The act’s adverse affects will be immediate:

타 Seniors suffer Medicare cuts of $500 billion.

타 Young Americans can expect a yearly premium increase of $504.

타 30 percent of employers “definitely” plan to drop coverage in 2014.

타 The Congressional Budget Office estimates 800,000 jobs lost over the next decade because of the act.

This law is hurting our economy. It’s hurting small businesses. It’s hurting the people we love who are still looking for jobs. And it hasn’t even gone into effect yet.

What will happen to an already limping economy when it does?

Randy Hultgren

Congressman

14th District

Winfield