Letter from Sen. Ralph S. Northam

[GS78]

In response to a letter I wrote him regarding the healthcare debacle, his response;

Dear Mr,........

Thank you for your note. As a state senator, I have the same power you do to influence legislation at a the Federal level;I can vote for the people I want to represent me in Congress, and I can let my current representatives know how I feel about issues that effect me. I have spoken personally with Congressman Nye and Senator Warner about my concerns,and I urge you to contact them as well and voice your opinions. While I share your grave concerns about the direction of the health care reform efforts currently being considered in Washington, I believe that it is dishonest and wrong for me to vote for legislation at the state level that would give my constituents false hope that I have other authority. I respect you too much to pander to youy for political gain.

I am personally not in favor of a health insurance mandate, but I understand that the bills being considered in the General Assembly would have zero effect on anything that became Federal law. Under the US Constitution, it is up to the Federal courts,through the process of judicial review, to determine the constitutionality of laws passed by Congress. The state legislatures do not play a role in this process, unless a constitutional ammendment is being considered. Currently, no law mandating health insurance has passed Congress, and if one does, citizens will have the freedom to bring suit in court to resolve the matter. This is how America's system of democracy works, and I believe strongly that it is the best system of government in the world. I appreciate you taking time to write,and look forward to hearing from you again.

Sincerely,
Ralph S. Northam
Senator,Virginia's 6th District