Joe Smith: Proposition C: The Health Care Freedom Act

Sending a message to Washington

For more than a year, Americans have taken to the streets to protest the federal government's irresponsible agenda.  Washington liberals didn't listen when they rammed through Congress their reckless health care bill—but they can't help but hear us now.

Missourians were the first voters in the nation to go to the ballot box and reject the reckless federal health care takeover.

The results were as stunning as they were clear: more than 71% of Missouri voters, including Republicans, Democrats, and independents, supported Proposition C and the effort to protect an individual's right to make his or her own health insurance choices.  Missourians sent Washington a clear message: stay out of our health care decisions.

Republicans have been right all along—it is time to repeal the existing health care law and replace it with a conservative alternative that does not burden Americans with unnecessary mandates and outrageous costs.  The Missouri Republican Party stood strongly in favor of Proposition C, unanimously endorsing the Health Care Freedom Act and contacting Missourians to encourage a YES vote.

Overwhelming bipartisan support

Proposition C passed in 114 of 116 election jurisdictions—including every county in the state—garnering more than 668,000 votes in Missouri.  This was a bipartisan declaration to Washington.  At least tens of thousands of Democrats voted YES on Proposition C.

Washington's tone-deaf reaction

The White House dismissed the Prop C vote, claiming that the results meant "nothing." Source: The Hill Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's response was even more offensive.  According to the Wall Street Journal, Reid dismissed the results of the election, claiming that Missourians aren't educated enough to understand the federal health care law.

Reid: "It's very obvious that people have a lack of understanding of our health care reform bill," Reid said. "The more people learn about this bill, the more they like it."

This tone-deaf and arrogant reaction is exactly the reason why so many Americans across the country are fed-up with Democrats in Washington.  More than 71% of voters sent a clear message rejecting the liberal agenda, yet Democrats continue to dismiss the will of the people and insist that we're simply not capable of making our own decisions.