Young Democrats of Oklahoma President Dale Denwalt released the following statement today regarding a press release issued by State Rep. Mike Ritze, R-Broken Arrow, suggesting Oklahoma could “opt out” of federal health insurance reform legislation:

Rep. Ritze is foaming at the mouth to return to the days when states acted to interpose against and nullify laws adopted by the federal government. Cutting the political strings that tie our federalist system together is an unwise move. We all remember what happened the last time states chose to “opt out” of the federal government. If his proposed amendment were to pass, it would violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution (federal laws supersede state laws) and the Fourteenth Amendment (states cannot abridge a citizen’s rights).

You can show your opposition to Rep. Ritze’s irresponsible statements and support the president by signing the YDA health insurance reform pledge at www.yda.org/healthpledge.

Ritze’s press release critiques several provisions of a health insurance reform bill being circulated in Congress. However, his claims that citizens would face “reduced access to a family doctor, rationing of services, or even outright denial of care” more often describes current private insurance practices than anything proposed by President Barack Obama. In reality, Ritze’s claims have been debunked time and time again as being outlandish lies.

Private insurance carriers consistently deny coverage due to “pre-existing conditions,” something that this federal legislation will fix.

Kavita Patel, a physician and White House adviser, says rationing by insurance companies already occurs. “Health insurance companies, as we speak, sit down and think about what services you can and can’t get […] based on what kind of insurance you have.”

And HMOs set strict guidelines on which physicians are “in-network” and “out-of-network.”

Tell Rep. Ritze and the Republicans why we need health insurance reform now, in every state, so that every American citizen won’t have to be afraid of getting sick or injured. Tell him that his proposed amendment would cost the state untold sums of money in court and litigation fees.

Sign the pledge: www.yda.org/healthpledge

Contact Rep. Mike Ritze and tell him to “opt out” of this debate until he gets his facts straight:
mike.ritze@okhouse.gov
(405) 557-7338