Cancer survivor implores state to drop challenge to 'Obamacare'
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OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Some people upset about Washington's involvement in a lawsuit challenging President Obama's health care overhaul are taking their anger to the state attorney general.
It was Rob McKenna's decision to join in the multi-state suit on the behalf of Washington state.
McKenna, who is running for governor, says only one part of "Obamacare" should be thrown out -- the one requiring most Americans to buy insurance. But opponents say McKenna has gone too far and it's threatening their health.
One of those is Tessie Goheen, who came to Olympia from Bremerton to personally deliver a message to McKenna.
"I'm here today to stand for myself and others who are in similar situations and to ask AG McKenna to please drop from the lawsuit," she said.
Goheen, 24, is a breast cancer survivor and says she needs to be able to stay on her parents' insurance plan. Obamacare allows it through age 26. It also allows people to get insurance despite having a pre-existing condition.
"It's scary to think as a young adult that I might be denied access to health care in the future," she said.
McKenna says he's in favor of keeping those two parts of Obamacare, just not the part that requires most Americans to buy health insurance.
"I've been saying from day we filed the suit that it will be separate from the rest of the law," he said. "That's exactly what happened in the court of appeals in the case which is now in front of the Supreme Court. They struck down the mandate, but left the rest of the law intact," he said.
Another lawsuit opponent, Laura Waite, said, "(McKenna) has made that statement, but he has signed onto a lawsuit that includes wiping out pre-existing conditions."
Waite has psoriasis and was denied insurance until Obamacare came in. Now she's worried she and others with pre-existing conditions will lose out. She's recently been having seizures and the shakes.
"If we let this lawsuit go through and the bill gets killed all together, then we're all lost," she said.
But the National Federation of Independent Business that filed the suit says Obamacare is overbearing and damages the economy.
"Where in the constitution do they give Congress the authority to dictate to any of our members, to any individual in America to buy a product from some private company?" said NFIB's Patrick Connor.
The case continues Tuesday at the U.S. Supreme Court, as do the protests. About 100 people are planning on being at McKenna's office Tuesday morning to urge him to drop out of the suit.
It was Rob McKenna's decision to join in the multi-state suit on the behalf of Washington state.
McKenna, who is running for governor, says only one part of "Obamacare" should be thrown out -- the one requiring most Americans to buy insurance. But opponents say McKenna has gone too far and it's threatening their health.
One of those is Tessie Goheen, who came to Olympia from Bremerton to personally deliver a message to McKenna.
"I'm here today to stand for myself and others who are in similar situations and to ask AG McKenna to please drop from the lawsuit," she said.
Goheen, 24, is a breast cancer survivor and says she needs to be able to stay on her parents' insurance plan. Obamacare allows it through age 26. It also allows people to get insurance despite having a pre-existing condition.
"It's scary to think as a young adult that I might be denied access to health care in the future," she said.
McKenna says he's in favor of keeping those two parts of Obamacare, just not the part that requires most Americans to buy health insurance.
"I've been saying from day we filed the suit that it will be separate from the rest of the law," he said. "That's exactly what happened in the court of appeals in the case which is now in front of the Supreme Court. They struck down the mandate, but left the rest of the law intact," he said.
Another lawsuit opponent, Laura Waite, said, "(McKenna) has made that statement, but he has signed onto a lawsuit that includes wiping out pre-existing conditions."
Waite has psoriasis and was denied insurance until Obamacare came in. Now she's worried she and others with pre-existing conditions will lose out. She's recently been having seizures and the shakes.
"If we let this lawsuit go through and the bill gets killed all together, then we're all lost," she said.
But the National Federation of Independent Business that filed the suit says Obamacare is overbearing and damages the economy.
"Where in the constitution do they give Congress the authority to dictate to any of our members, to any individual in America to buy a product from some private company?" said NFIB's Patrick Connor.
The case continues Tuesday at the U.S. Supreme Court, as do the protests. About 100 people are planning on being at McKenna's office Tuesday morning to urge him to drop out of the suit.
