Claire McAndrew of Washington, left, and Donny Kirsch of Washington, celebrate outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Thursday, June 28, 2012, after the courts's ruling on health care. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Connecticut Democrats are understandably rejoicing after the highest court in the land upheld what is known as the “minimum provision” or individual health insurance mandate in the Affordable Care Act championed by President Obama and passed by Congress in 2010.
Here’s what they’re saying:
U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District:
“The Supreme Court did the right thing, and today, Connecticut residents can have confidence that they will get better and more affordable care in the years to come.
Now that the law has been upheld, we know for certain that seniors will pay less for their drugs at the pharmacy, sick people will never be denied health insurance, small businesses will pay less to insure their employees, and the quality of health care will increase over time for all Americans.
I was a strong supporter of the bill because it was the right way to begin fixing a very broken health care system. Though this was a split decision by the court, it’s now time for Republicans to stop their attempts to repeal this bill, so that we can come together to implement it in way that benefits patients and taxpayers.”
U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, D-5th District:
“The Supreme Court did the right thing, and today, Connecticut residents can have confidence that they will get better and more affordable care in the years to come.
Now that the law has been upheld, we know for certain that seniors will pay less for their drugs at the pharmacy, sick people will never be denied health insurance, small businesses will pay less to insure their employees, and the quality of health care will increase over time for all Americans.
I was a strong supporter of the bill because it was the right way to begin fixing a very broken health care system. Though this was a split decision by the court, it’s now time for Republicans to stop their attempts to repeal this bill, so that we can come together to implement it in way that benefits patients and taxpayers.”
Former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz:
“Today’s ruling was a victory for families and insures every American will get the care they need even if they can’t afford health insurance. The Affordable Care Act is the single largest step forward for health care in a generation. The law brings 30 million Americans into a health care system that provides preventative health services, lower health care costs, and no longer treats pregnancy as a pre-existing condition.
Despite today’s ruling it is clear that the effort to provide affordable and accessible health care to every American is far from over. Over the next few months Republicans will use every tool they have to take apart the Affordable Care Act. I will stand with the millions of American families and 300,000 Connecticut families who desperately need the quality and affordable care which is provided by this law.”
Governor Dannel P. Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman:
“This is a tremendous day for all Americans. The Supreme Court has taken a historic stand with the Affordable Care Act—this decision demonstrates that the nation will do the right thing in ensuring accessible, affordable health care for all Americans. With SCOTUS validating the law, Republicans in Congress should cease their efforts to repeal the reforms and instead join President Obama in focusing on job creation. In Connecticut, we’ve been leading the way on this issue—we never stopped working, and today’s decision is an affirmation of everything we’ve worked so hard to prepare. Now let’s make sure we continue to implement this historic, positive change.”