Musician Stevie Wonder said it was "ridiculous" that America does not have a health care system like other countries.
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D.-Ore.) says that Congress gets authority to force Americans to buy health insurance as part of its "very first enumerated power."
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said that Congress' constitutional authority to require individuals to buy health insurance is like Medicaid, Medicare and states requiring driver's licenses.
Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) said the Constitution does not give Congress the power to require people to buy health insurance "in that respect" but "in ways to help citizens" to "live a good life."
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) told CNSNews.com that because he is not a “constitutional scholar,” he is unable to say where in the Constitution Congress gets authority to mandate that Americans buy health insurance.
Sen. Jack Reed (D.-R.I.) said forcing people to buy health insurance is consitutionally justified because it is like making people "sign up for the draft."
Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said he has no other chocie but to filibuster any Senate health care bill that contains a government-run public option.
Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) said that the Democrats' health care bill "shred" the U.S. Constitution, adding that the bill's mandate to buy insurance probably would be challenged in the courts.
Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voight said that the Democrats' health care bill would "decimate" the U.S. economy and that he does not think mandating that Americans buy health insurance is constitutional.
Sen. John McCain predicts there will be a constitutioal challenge to the provision in the health care bill that forces Americans to buy health insurance.