GOP Congressional Candidate Sues Obama Administration Over Health Care Law

GOP Congressional Candidate Kevin Calvey has filed a lawsuit against the Obama Administration, saying the health care law is unconstitutional.

Thursday, April 8th 2010, 1:58 pm

By: News 9


By Dave Jordan, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY – GOP Congressional Candidate Kevin Calvey has filed a lawsuit against the Obama Administration, saying the health care law is unconstitutional.

"This suit will give Oklahomans an opportunity to put themselves on record as being opposed to the unconstitutional health care legislation that was passed by the federal government," Calvey said.

Calvey made the remarks at a press conference in the Rotunda at the state Capitol Thursday morning in front of a group of students who were touring the capitol. He says the debt that would be incurred by the law would be passed on to those students in their later years.

Calvey is running for Congress and he said in a campaign ad he would fight to repeal the health care bill if it passes. He made good on that promise Thursday, by filing this lawsuit.

"This is a decision that we've made, not lightly, but it's one that we feel is necessary," Calvey said.

Calvey is one of 16 plaintiffs, all Oklahoma County residents, seeking an injunction to prevent the enforcement of the newly-signed health care law.

County Commissioner Brian Maughan is one of the plaintiffs. He believes the bill adversely affects the Oklahoma Heart Hospital that is in his district.

"Because this bill would prohibit physician-owned hospitals from accepting Medicare, that would effectively render the hospital out of business before it ever opened its doors," Maughan said.

But, Democrats are calling this a publicity stunt.

"This has all the makings of somebody trying to charge his lackluster congressional campaign," Karina Henderson, a spokeswoman with the Oklahoma Democratic Party, said.

Henderson says Calvey is distorting the truth about the health care law.

"I don't know how you file a lawsuit against something like that," said Henderson. "Plain and simple, this is going to help people create jobs, save taxpayer money in the long run and none of this seems to matter to people like Kevin Calvey."

Calvey says this lawsuit represents Oklahomans' frustration over this issue. And he's growing frustrated over Attorney General Drew Edmondson's failure to join his colleagues in other states who have sued the government over this law.

"This in no way gets our attorney general off the hook," Calvey said.

A spokesman for Edmondson's office said they have divided the bill into different sections and attorneys in his office are reviewing the new law. A decision about a lawsuit on behalf of the State of Oklahoma could come soon.

Calvey is running as a Republican for the 5th District Congressional seat being vacated by Mary Fallin. Fallin is vacating her seat representing parts of Oklahoma Pottawatomie and Seminole counties so she can run for governor.

Calvey has set up a Web site inviting Oklahomans to become plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

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