Andersonville, TN - December 26, 2009 - U.S. Congressional District 3 candidate, Mark DeVol responds to the Senates passage of healthcare reform legislation.

Let us not forget, in the eight years of the Bush administration, it was a Republican controlled Congress that elevated the national debt ceiling to an all time high of $10 trillion dollars. The MMA, Medicare Modernization Act was signed into law on December 8, 2003. The $434 billion dollar 10-year cost estimate was increased one month later to $534 billion and by early 2005 was increased to $1.2 trillion.

The truth is both political parties, Republican's and Democrat's, are out of touch with the majority of the American people…recent polls indicate now over 40% of American voters describe their political views as Conservative and their political base as Independent.

Regardless of the issue, Medicare or Healthcare, this type of decision making is a direct result of Party based politics. We need to remind our representatives that when the words "shall" and "must" are referenced in the U.S. Constitution they are establishing the limitations placed on government…not the citizens!

The American people expect their elected officials to represent them in government… not to decide for them in government. The bottom line; State and Federal governments do not have the constitutional authority to require (mandate) people to purchase anything!