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NFIB Legal Center Executive Director Karen Harned argues the health-care law is bad for small business costs and job creation.
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Welcome back to a special edition of the Willis report live in DC at the Supreme Court.
Arguments here today focusing on whether Obama cares individual mandate goes too far.
Justice Anthony Kennedy and Chief Justice John Roberts seemed to be emerging as the pivotal votes for more I'm joined by Karen -- Executive director of the NFIB legal center and that's the National Federation of Independent Business is welcome to the show.
It's great to have you here you guys have been here all week long talking to people trying to raise consciousness we've all talked about the AG's suit.
26 states against Obama here but your organizational as well -- -- -- Against the law why.
Right we have them plaintiffs in the lawsuit with that AG's Buckeyes.
This slot is bad for small business it's bad for our individual liberties.
And it's also just bad for business small business owners have seen their costs increase since a -- has.
Been enacted they've also heard from the insurers won an eight of them.
Have heard that the plan they have the plane that we are all told we could keep has been canceled because it's not gonna meet the minimum requirements -- for let's take some time with that as we he sat down and you told me -- I was shocked.
That insurers are already canceling plans this small business owners have the whole idea of Obama care to have more people covered it's having the opposite effect.
Right we have done some investigating and that has been the justification in many instances the new law -- because.
Under the new law you have to have the Cadillac he can't have the -- a lot of small business owners just -- The bare bones coverage that they need.
For this problem the government keeps on telling us about and uncompensated care yet under the -- catastrophic coverage plans are gone they're easily -- Well there's also the issue for small business operators and how big is this that they have to pay.
If they don't offer coverage and I believe the levels fifty employers.
Or more now -- if you don't have that coverage you have to pay find something like 2000 per worker.
Is this causing small businesses to close shocked -- -- fire people not to hire what's the impact.
We'll definitely on the not to hire we have been hearing from our members that are sitting at that cast.
At 4748.
They look at the math and it is not something that they can sustain.
So as we're trying to get our job creators to create jobs the government is dis incentivizing them with a -- -- will penalize them if they grow their bit.
I -- I am sure you follow this very closely.
If you were surprised by the turn of events today the very harsh questioning that the individual mandate got of course individual mandate this idea -- Americans.
Have to buy insurance that they can't opt out they have to opt in and -- -- don't you get a fine or you get a tax penalty were you surprised at the turn of events here.
Not completely surprise only because.
We and I we knew going in that the government had a problem a problem they were unable to stop today.
Where -- it and what products can we not be forced to -- as Americans if the mandate is upheld and that is a problem for I would.
I we hope a majority of the just says.
But that's really where you saw the government truthfully get a lot of their hardest questions.
-- is this issue that has your membership fired up more than any other right now definitely health care costs of their number one issue an individual liberty is right up there to.
Look every time you asked them what can we do what can the government do to help you create jobs they say.
Get out of the way what are they doing they're getting into our business and telling us how to use our precious dollars we can't put an end of the business we have to buy a plan.
That may be much more expensive and cover a lot more things that we need -- want.
Warner could -- -- answer on this -- mid summer.
-- that we're not expecting an answer from the Supreme Court till June.
This could be it you know it in a small business world that can be a long time if you're operating at the margin.
What difference do you think it'll mean if at the end of the day Obama -- is rolled back -- -- the individual mandate is -- back to small business operators.
Well unfortunately can't know for sure bet.
We really would like to see the whole -- fall so that we can then go ahead and go back to the drawing board to really deal with the issue that small business owners care about.
Which is lower cost but yes our cities are showing.
That until this gets resolved it's -- business owners are sitting on the sidelines they don't know how much is gonna cost.
For health insurance for their family themselves their employees but they're gonna be required to -- our key.
Karen great to have you here thank you so much for coming on being --
