Christie Vetoes New Jersey Insurance Exchange
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) vetoed a state insurance-exchange bill on Thursday, citing the Supreme Court’s pending decision on the constitutionality of President Obama's health care law as part of his decision.
“I am concerned that a hastily created exchange in New Jersey will impose unnecessary obligations upon the State’s taxpayers,” Christie said in a statement. “The very constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act is cloaked in uncertainty, as both the individual mandate to procure health insurance as well as the jurisdictional mandate to establish an exchange may not survive scrutiny by the Supreme Court.”
Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, voiced his disappointment with Christie’s decision.
“Governor Christie’s veto of the bill passed by the New Jersey state Legislature is based on faulty hypothetical scenarios and will delay New Jersey’s ability to adequately put in place this critical function of the health care law,” Pallone said. “New Jersey received nearly $9 million to plan and establish its health care exchange, giving the state the right to have an integral part in the development of the [Affordable Care Act].”
