And, again: "where in the Constituion does it say that everyone is entitled to healthcare?"

[question everything]

Was one on Chris Matthews earlier.

To which I reply: nowhere! Nor is it the Constitution that we are entitled to safe roads and bridges, to clean water, to safe food and medicine, to safe sky.

We the people empower our representatives to establish these programs by levying tax on us.

And thus far, it appears that most do support healthcare for all. One way or the other.

[nikibatts]

1. Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness. for me.

[question everything]

3. That's what the guest was saying

and as far as he was concerned, healthcare is not port of this. That you are free to pursue these items in your own way, leave the government out of it.

[pnwmom]

13. Healthcare helps keep us ALIVE. What an idiot that guest was. n/t

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

21. That's in the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution.

But the Constitution does say "The Congress shall have Power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States."

[Hortensis]

23. Needed to be said. Lol. BUT, this right doesn't HAVE to be

specified in the constitution, because that gives the people the right to decide the actions their government will take.

Thanks to our wonderful liberal founders, there is no need to look for preexisting legal, or religious or philosophical, permission. It's not been specifically excluded, requiring us to first amend our constitution, so if we want a right to healthcare guaranteed by our government, we can just give it to ourselves. And we are.

[randr]

2. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

pretty much covers the need for adaquate healthcare, safe roads, clean water, safe food, crime free neighborhoods, access to recreational substances etc., etc..
While these words are not included within our Constitution I have always considered these principles to be the basis of the very document.

[William Seger]

20. That phrase is in the Declaration of Independence

... but the Constitution says one reason for creating the government is to promote the general welfare, and the Bill of Rights is not (nor was it ever intended to be) a list of all rights that citizens have. It's only a list of rights that the government is specifically forbidden to infringe. We as a democratic society are free to democratically decide what rights we have.

[Doreen]

4. The first word "life" that is said we have a right to is the one to think about.

If we do not have health care or things that keep us safe our life is taken away and then the next two words do not mean a pinch of shit.

[question everything]

10. The way the RWers look at it, I think, is that your life, of course, cannot be taken away

at least without due course - according to the ones promoting the death penalty.

But what you do with your life, how you keep it and maintain it is up to you, not to the government.

Of course, they are against any safety net.

The way I look at it - and some may describe it as socialism, so be it - the role of an elected government is to ensure that everyone is given basic food shelter and healthcare.

[pnwmom]

14. Our lives CAN be taken without due process -- through acts of nature and accidents.

Healthcare helps keep us alive. No one wants to return to a life expectancy of 40 years.

[BigmanPigman]

5. I saw that...and he's a doctor! Later I saw his smug face in a clip

from the rose garden when the House GOP had their beer party. He was standing behind the fake prez grinning ear to ear. I can't believe my TV is still intact since I almost smashed it the first time he was on.

[roamer65]

6. "...promote the general WELFARE..."

That's the part of the Constitution that mandates it.

[Trial_By_Fire]

9. Yes, in the Preamble and Article I Section 8 proper...

[Mrs. Ted Nancy]

16. First paragraph Article 1 Section 8

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and
general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;...

[WePurrsevere]

30. This has been my answer to R'Cons for decades...

They ignore that part much like the Con'christians ignore parts of the Bible that don't meet their agenda of fear, greed and hate (like all 4 Gospels).

ETA: The 'provide for the general welfare' part has been the basis of quite a few SCOTUS decisions. I'd have to find time/energy to do some research but a memory is niggling in the back of my mind that they used that in an anti social services case.

[ProfessorGAC]

27. Yep

I posted below about this too. It's the only 5 word phrase in the Constitution that is used in the exact same context in two different spots.

Why it's so hard for these ninnies to see that, is beyond me.

[ProudLib72]

7. Constitutional literalists are astoundingly stupid

There is a reason for the SCOTUS. Of course, now with Gorsuch maybe it is redundant.

[ThoughtCriminal]

19. Most that I have encountered are only somewhat familiar

with PART of the 2nd Amendment and a portion of the 10th.

[Cosmocat]

24. It's HIGHLY selective

Their LIBERAL interpretation of the second is sacrosanct. The rest of it is open to their ability to channel the inner thoughts of the founders.

[Dave Starsky]

25. They're like the Yangs in that Star Trek episode.

The people who worship the Holy Words of the Eepleb Neesta, not having a clue what it says.

[CK_John]

8. IMO, the Preamble is our statement of purpose and is more important than the constitution

which is how we are going to carry it out.

Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness is the purpose and our goal..

[Dave Starsky]

28. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...

are in the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution.

This same document also says that "all men are created equal", while the Constitution states that slaves are to be counted as 60% of a person for purposes of representation.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

11. Wanna Blow Their Minds?

Tell them the phrase "health care" is right next to the word "gun." Still want to play the "it doesn't say it in the Constitution" game?

[Worktodo]

12. No dental coverage either

A sham of a travesty!

[inwiththenew]

15. It's not in there

But a lot of stuff isn't in there either. Things change.

[WinkyDink]

17. It doesn't declare that corporations have the same rights as citizens, either.

[Hamlette]

18. we could sell it like they sold food stamps (to help farmers) and unemployment (to help employers)

Food stamps was sold, at least in part, to prop up farmers so they could sell more food. And unemployment, passed after the depression, was passed, in part, to save business (when a business goes under and employees have no money to buy anything, other businesses go under due to lack of demand).

We always pull out those cards when defending against cuts.

We should say we need some sort of health care program because without them we won't be able to afford all those fancy machines hospitals "need" to buy to keep our health system "the best in the world".

Worth a try. And might even be true.

[Vinca]

22. How about we need single payer because it will ease the financial burden on big business?

[question everything]

35. This really bugged me. It was former Senator Mary Landrieu that refused the single payer

inclusion in the ACA because, she said, small business owners didn't want it.

What? I jumped. Even sent a letter - not published - that small business owners should welcome a single payer for precisely this point.

She paid for it. Is no longer a senator.

[Hamlette]

36. my husband worked for GM, they could make the same car in Canada for $1,000 less due to health ins.

it's a good argument.

[roscoeroscoe]

32. If I remember correctly,

Food stamps were enacted to ensure that draft age men would not be undernourished weaklings.

[question everything]

34. Indeed. Small business owners in town are fighting the recent rule to provide paid sick leave

And I have always wanted to ask them whether they want sick, contagious employees coming to work. Infecting customers and co-workers, providing sub par job because they do not feel well.

Do they really want customers and suppliers to leave them as they earn the name of Typhoid Donald? (or something)

[ProfessorGAC]

26. Five Words In The Constitution

In fact, it's the only 5 word phrase used in identical context in two different parts of the Constitution.

The 5 words: "To Promote The General Welfare"

So, to those types; yes it's in there, and because of the Article in which is appears, it's CONGRESS that has the responsibility to do just that. It's not their responsibility to interpret the Constitution. It's their job to promote the general welfare.

[treestar]

29. The question really would be

Where in the Constitution does it prohibit the government from doing that? The person who says that does not understand the concept.

[jberryhill]

31. Right next to the part about having an Air Force

[WinkyDink]

33. Zing!

[Warren DeMontague]

37. Where in the Constitution does it say the government can put people in prison for growing hemp?