Lone star politicians are wasting no time sounding off on the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision this morning upholding the individual mandate at the heart of the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s signature package of health care reforms.
Governor Rick Perry calls the opinion “a stomach punch to the American economy.”
“Freedom was frontally attacked by passage of this monstrosity,” Perry says, “and the Court utterly failed in its duty to uphold the Constitutional limits placed on Washington. Now that the Supreme Court has abandoned us, we citizens must take action at every level of government and demand real reform, done with respect for our Constitution and our liberty.”
Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, who is also in a Republican runoff for the U.S. Senate, said the decision is “reason number one why we need a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate to repeal this monstrous law.”
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is also disappointed with the Supreme Court’s ruling, saying “the Constitutional limits of federal power are now dangerously eroded.”
The Center for Public Policy Priorities says “Today’s Supreme Court decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is great news for Texas families. With more than 6 million Texans uninsured and billions of dollars in federal funding on the table for our state, Texas has the most to gain from today’s pivotal decision."
U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett called the decision a “significant victory” for families, small businesses and seniors. He says the work needs to continue to make sure every family has access to a family doctor. “Now we must continue our struggle to overcome the naysayers and obstructionists to assure each family has access to a family doctor.”
You can read more reactions compiled by the Texas Tribune, KUT News' reporting partner.
