Former California lieutenant governor and 24th Congressional District candidate Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, released the following statement Thursday regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Obamacare on the basis that it is a “tax” and pledged to support a bipartisan repeal and replace of Obamacare.

“We are a nation built on the right to be free and the right to make choices for ourselves, and I believe that government should never force anyone to buy a service,” Maldonado said. “The fundamental truth is that the American people want a health-care solution that expands access to care, preserves choice and lowers costs.

“As it turns out, the ‘big gamble’ Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, voted to pass without knowing what was in it, was in reality, a big tax on millions of middle-class American families and seniors. The Supreme Court’s decision couldn’t be clearer: Obamacare is a tax and the Congress has the sole authority to repeal that tax. I support a bipartisan repeal and replace of the Obamacare tax.

“Across the country, small businesses and working families are struggling to cope with the crippling effect of the Obamacare tax. I believe that health-care decisions should be made by patients, families and their doctors, not by Washington bureaucrats who have forced upon the American people a $525 billion tax increase, a $575 billion Medicare cut for seniors and a 9 percent increase in premiums for working Americans.”

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