Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has again voted with his liberal colleagues to uphold a key portion of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. Roberts also was the key vote to uphold the law in 2012. Justice Anthony Kennedy was a dissenter in 2012, but was part of the majority on Thursday. Roberts says in the majority opinion, quote, "Congress passed the Affordable Care Act to improve health insurance markets, not to destroy them." Nationally, 10.2 million people have signed up for health insurance under the Obama health overhaul. That includes the 8.7 million people who are receiving an average subsidy of $272 a month to help pay their insurance premiums. Of those receiving subsidies, 6.4 million people were at risk of losing that aid because they live in states that did not set up their own health insurance exchanges.
Here is some regional reaction:
Rep. Paul Tonko, D-NY
“I am pleased the Supreme Court saw this case for what it was -- another partisan attack on the Affordable Care Act that had the potential to take away affordable access of health care to millions of Americans. For years, the ACA has been the law of the land and it has helped millions of people in New York and across the nation gain access to affordable and quality health coverage. It is time for the frivolous lawsuits and political attacks against the law to stop, and it is time to work together to strengthen the ACA to reach a shared goal of lower costs and better health care for all Americans,” said Tonko.
Rep. Peter Welch, D-VT
“For the second time, the highest court in the land has affirmed the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act,” Congressman Welch said. “And, after over 50 votes, Congress has failed to repeal the law. Over 16 million previously uninsured Americans now have the peace of mind that comes with health care coverage. This law, while by no means perfect, is clearly constitutional and clearly the law of the land. It’s time for Congress to focus on fixing it rather than repealing it so that all Americans finally have access quality and affordable health care.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
“The Supreme Court recognized the common-sense reading of the Affordable Care Act that Congress intended to help all eligible Americans obtain health insurance whether they get it through state or national exchanges. Access to affordable health care should not depend on where you live. At a time when the United States in the only major country on earth that doesn’t guarantee health care to all Americans – and 35 million of our citizens today still lack insurance – it would have been an outrage to throw 6.4 million more people off health insurance. What the United States should do is join every other major nation and recognize that health care is a right of citizenship. A Medicare-for-all, single-payer system would provide better care at less cost for more Americans.”
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH
“I’m tremendously relieved that the Supreme Court’s decision today maintains affordable healthcare for the 30,000 Granite Staters who receive health insurance tax credits,” said Shaheen. “For those of us who supported the Affordable Care Act, it was always our intention to provide subsidies to families who needed help purchasing health insurance, regardless of where they lived. The Affordable Care Act is not perfect, and I will continue working to improve it, but today is a big victory for all those families across the country whose healthcare hung in the balance.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Ct.
“The Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold this historic, life-changing law is a tremendous victory not only for the Administration and the law, but for all Americans who are now guaranteed their basic right to quality health care. The Court put the rule of law above politics and affirmed what we already know – that a commonsense reading of this measure avoids catastrophic consequences, and provides Americans life-saving medical treatment to transform lives for the better. This law has helped millions of Americans and will continue to do so for generations to come.”
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Democrat
“The Supreme Court's decision that citizens in all states may receive insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act is a victory for all Americans. I applaud the court and I congratulate President Obama for turning back a legal challenge that would have limited access to health insurance and health insurance choices for our neediest citizens. Obamacare has already resulted in significant benefits to New Yorkers, where over a million individuals and families now have access to the care they need, ensuring a healthier state far into the future.”
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-NY
“The Supreme Court made the right call today. As Democrats have consistently said, we meant what we wrote and we wrote what we meant. From the beginning, this case was nothing more than political theater dressed up as a court case. I’m glad we can move on,” said Murphy. “Now, Republicans need to accept the fact that the Affordable Care Act is the law and it’s working. Millions of Americans have gained health coverage, insurance companies can no longer refuse to cover people with preexisting conditions, and every insurer must cover preventative screenings. Democrats are here waiting for Republicans to stop their reckless repeal games and come to the table to build on the Affordable Care Act’s successes to make the American healthcare system even better.”
Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Ct.
“The Supreme Court made the right decision today,” said Rep. Esty. “More than 16 million Americans now have access to affordable health coverage because of the Affordable Care Act. It was clearly Congress’ intent that tax payers should have access to tax credits – whether they live in Connecticut, which chose to design its own health insurance exchange, or in one of the states that let the federal government create their citizens’ health care marketplace. I’m proud that Connecticut’s state-run marketplace is working well for the more than half million residents it serves. Let’s be clear: individuals and families who purchased coverage through Access Health CT were never in danger of losing their tax credits. I hope that today’s decision will allow us to put politics aside and get back to working on ways to make our health care system more affordable and effective for all Americans. The goal of this and any health care system should be to help Americans live longer, healthier lives, and that is what I will continue to work on in Congress.”
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-NY
“I remain committed to helping North Country families receive access to high quality, affordable healthcare,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “The Affordable Care Act has sadly caused too many to have to make painful healthcare decisions and has hurt businesses seeking to expand and hire new workers. I will continue to advocate in Congress to reduce this law’s burdensome mandates, taxes and penalties and to promote choice in healthcare delivery so that North Country families can get access to high quality, patient-centered healthcare and so that our small businesses can grow.”
Gov. Peter Shumlin, D-VT
“I am pleased with today’s Supreme Court ruling and the strong vote. This is very good news for the 6.4 million Americans who were in danger of losing their affordable health care coverage. Although Vermonters’ federal subsidies were secure due to our decision to have a state-based exchange, I am glad that the rest of the country will not lose the significant ground gained in health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act. We are making progress to deliver the services Vermonters expect through Vermont Health Connect. We have insured nearly 20,000 Vermonters who previously did not have insurance, and now Vermont has the second lowest rate of uninsured in the nation. Today could have been a very bad day for the country. I hope Americans who rely on federal subsidies for affordable health care can rest a little easier tonight.”
Lt. Gov. Phil Scott, R-VT
"For 18 months, officials have dismissed repeated calls to explore alternatives to our dysfunctional exchange, saying to do so would put Vermonters at risk of losing their subsidies. Now, with today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that federal subsidies can be offered in both state and federal health care exchanges, that fear is eliminated, and it’s clear we must immediately explore alternatives to Vermont Health Connect. These alternatives could be a regional partnership with other states like Connecticut, a partnership with the federal exchange, or a full transition to the federal exchange. For far too long, Vermonters have been underserved and frustrated by this $200 million system. Now that the fear of losing subsidies is no longer a valid argument, we must find the best path to affordable, accessible health insurance for every Vermonter.”
New York State Conservative Party
It is unfortunate that the United States Supreme Court decided on the case that effects the health care of millions of Americans, on what the law intended rather than what was written. The Supreme Court's decisions on the Affordable Health Care Act (NFIB v. Sebelius and King v. Burwell) are jeopardizing the United States health care system that has prolonged the life expectancy of not only Americans, but also citizens throughout the world. The decision today, brings the United States closer to a universal health care system that will overburden a system that underpays the medical personnel dedicated to improving the health of citizens. The unintended consequences of today's Supreme Court decision in King v. Burwell will be a health system like the United Kingdom's where patients are left outside hospitals in ambulances withering in pain for hours due to a government regulation that patients must be seen within four hours of admitting. The crisis is real in the UK and today's decision puts America in the same situation. Chief Justice Robert's wrote in the 6-3 decision that "Congress passed the Affordable Care Act to improve health insurance markets, not to destroy them." The decision may improve the health insurance market, but how ironic is it that ultimately it will destroy the health care system that improved and provided better health to its citizens and to citizens of the world.
