Virginia senator compares healthcare mandates to driver’s licenses

  I have written several posts now about politicians who are trying to justify mandating healthcare coverage. Some politicians have tried to cite a clause in the constitution that they believe gives them this power while other politicians (Roland Burris) made up clauses in the constitution that do not exist, and still others just get insulted that their authority is even questioned. But Senator Warner of Virginia may take the cake.

  When asked where the constitution granted congress the authority to mandate healthcare coverage here is what Warner had to say:

The United States Congress passed laws regarding Medicare and Medicaid that became de facto mandatory programs. States all the time require people to have driver’s licenses. I think that this is a bit of a spurious argument that’s being made by some folks

  He equates states requiring driver’s licenses to the federal government mandating healthcare insurance? The argument does not hold water.

   First, we are talking about state laws versus federal laws.

  Second, the reason that states require driver’s licenses is to ensure the safety of others, not just the person holding the license, whereas a person can choose to buy health insurance to protect themselves. This is the same fraudulent argument that has politicians, including the president, claiming that mandating healthcare coverage is the same as mandating auto insurance.

  Senator Warner refused to cite the clause that grants congress the power to mandate healthcare coverage and instead tried to justify his position with a faulty argument. In fact he also tried to marginalize the people who feel that congress is over-reaching with his comment that those who question the constitutionality of healthcare mandates are just making a “spurious argument.”

  The fact of the matter is that there is no clause that grants the power to the federal government to mandate healthcare insurance, pure and simple.