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Hillary Clinton Reacts To The ACA Ruling

by Jenny Hollander

Somewhere in the White House, President Obama is smugly saying, "Well, I knew they wouldn't go through with it." Though it looked close at times, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a 6-3 opinion that Obamacare tax subsidies are here to stay, essentially keeping the administration's healthcare exchange affordable for most Americans who utilize it. Of course, Obamacare is and has always been a very partisan issue, with Republicans almost without exception vowing to repeal it should they become president, and many Democrats supporting Obama in his quest to make healthcare available for all Americans. Hillary Clinton tweeted about the Supreme Court's Obamacare decision minutes after it came out, rejoicing at the upholding of crucial portions of the Affordable Care Act.

"Yes! SCOTUS affirms what we know is true in our hearts & under the law: Health insurance should be affordable & available to all. -H," Hillary Clinton tweeted just before 11 a.m.

Not everybody was as fiercely supportive of the Obamacare subsidies clause as Clinton, Obama, and six of the nine Supreme Court justices. Coming out most fiercely against residents of all states receiving Obamacare tax subsidies, regardless of whether or not they maintain their own healthcare exchanges, was Justice Antonin Scalia, who wrote in a passionate dissent that the wording of the Affordable Care Act has no real meaning if tax subsidies in every state are upheld. Marco Rubio also Tweeted up a storm Thursday morning, passionately vowing to repeal Obamacare should he become president.

In a full statement via Hillary for America, Clinton said:

I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to affirm what the authors of the Affordable Care Act clearly intended and wrote into law: that health insurance should be affordable and available in every state across the country.

Republicans in Congress have waged a sustained attack against this promise. They’ve voted more than 50 times to repeal or dismantle the law, roll back coverage for millions of Americans, and let insurers write their own rules again – all without proposing any viable alternatives. Now that the Supreme Court has once again re-affirmed the ACA as the law of the land, it’s time for the Republican attacks to end. It’s time to move on.

The Affordable Care Act isn’t perfect, but the evidence is clear: it’s working. Sixteen million Americans have gained coverage. Millions of young people are able to stay on their parents’ plans. Insurance companies can no longer discriminate against people with preexisting conditions or charge women higher rates just because of their gender.

Republicans should stop trying to tear down the law and start working across party lines to build on these successes.

I’ve fought for the promise of quality, affordable health care for every American for decades. And I’m not going to stop now. Anyone seeking to lead our country should stand up and support this decision.