Atlanta, GA – Tea Party Patriots President and co-founder Jenny Beth Martin released the following statement today reacting to Gov. Chris Christie’s (R-NJ) proposal to take insurance premiums from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey for a new government program.

“Governor Christies’ scheme to grab $300 million from the reserve funding of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield is wrong. It is the very essence of government overreach. It would hike premiums, create more risk for the New Jersey health insurance market, and undermine healthcare for all New Jersey tax payers. This scheme appears to be nothing but a PR stunt and a power grab by the Governor to rehabilitate his tattered political image. The people of New Jersey deserve better from the Governor, not a too cute by half political scheme that grabs the critical financial resources of a non-profit private healthcare company and harms the very policy holders who paid those healthcare premiums. This effort is a short sighted, half-baked power grab that has to be stopped. The legislature has to stop the Governor from taking this money from the healthcare policy holders of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield.”

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