The Supreme Court's ruling Thursday that President Obama's health care law can continue to provide tax subsidies to millions of Americans, including more than 400,000 in Georgia, provoked a sharp reactions from both sides of the state's political spectrum.
Sen. David Perdue, a Republican who campaigned on a vow to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, said the court's opinion "doesn't change the fact that Obamacare is a disaster and should be entirely repealed." He added:
"Right now, many Georgians are seeing their premiums skyrocket by double-digits, their hours cut back because of the employer mandate, and less access to the doctors of their choice because of the empty promises made by President Obama. These aren't theoretical problems discussed in a courtroom. They are real-world economic problems caused by Obamacare."
Attorney General Sam Olens, another prominent GOP critic of the law, said the ruling is a "loss for everyone who cares about the Constitution and the rule of law."
"By permitting President Obama to ignore and rewrite important provisions of the Affordable Care Act, the Supreme Court has threatened our constitutional structure, which has always been understood to give Congress—and only Congress—the power to enact and amend the laws of our nation."
Democrats, meanwhile, were overjoyed by the ruling. State Sen. Vincent Fort, the chamber's No. 2 Democrat, used it to urge Gov. Nathan Deal to expand Medicaid. Deal and other GOP leaders have resisted expanding the program, citing long-term costs.
"The most important thing for Georgia is now that Obamacare is settled, we need to expand Medicaid to 600,000 Georgians without healthcare," he said. "The wait is over. It's time to expand Medicaid."
Such a move would not only require Deal's approval, but also a vote from the GOP-controlled state Legislature, where leaders have adamantly opposed an expansion. Deal's office effectively ruled out significant changes to Georgia's approach to healthcare on the state level.
"This is a federal ruling on a federal law," said Jen Talaber, Deal's spokeswoman. "And any serious efforts to change the law would require a federal solution."
Here are some more comments:
U.S. Sen Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., said it's on to repeal:
"Today the Supreme Court failed to recognize how terribly flawed President Obama's health care law is for millions of Georgians suffering under the law's health insurance premium spikes and intrusive mandates. Despite this action by the Supreme Court I will continue to work with my Senate colleagues to repeal and replace Obamacare."
From U.S. Reps. Tom Price, R-Roswell:
"The Supreme Court's ruling has simply endorsed the status quo. It has not and it should not dissuade policymakers from continuing to pursue a repeal of Obamacare and, just as important, to pursue positive, patient-centered solutions. The status quo is harming patients, families, and America's small businesses. It is wreaking havoc on the health insurance market, diminishing the innovation and vitality of our health care system and remains a barrier to job creation and a healthier economy."
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Savannah, sounded a similar note:
"The only thing worse for health care in America than Obamacare has been its implementation which clearly ignores the rule of law. While this ruling is a deep disappointment to those who, like me, have seen the devastating impact of this train wreck of a law first hand, we cannot lose hope that we will prevail in repealing and replacing it with real reforms."
GOP House Speaker David Ralston said it was up to the feds to fix:
"Today's Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare shows us that the only way to stop the death-spiral of America's healthcare and insurance systems is for Congress to take decisive legislative action to overturn Obamacare. Families are seeing premiums soar while the benefits and protections offered by their health insurance decline dramatically. American healthcare was once the envy of the world. Now the world watches as Obamacare drags our healthcare system down into ruin."
State Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, a rare Georgia Republican who supports Medicaid expansion, said the state's best hope for more healthcare funding may rest in a controversial waiver program slipped into this year's state budget:
"With language in our budget this year we are working with the Federal Government to bring back our dollars with an alternative to medicaid expansion. I am hopeful that the federal government will allow us to use these dollars in a responsible manner that brings better health to our citizens and allows our health facilities to continue to be there to provide for them."
Here's U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Lawrenceville:
"This decision doesn't fulfill the broken promises made by the President as he sought to win America's support for his Washington takeover of the entire health care industry, and sadly those promises continue to be broken one by one every day: millions of citizens have been forced off the health care plans they liked and forced onto Obamacare plans they do not, all the while losing access to the doctor that they trust – despite the President's repeated claims to the contrary."
Georgia Democratic Party chairman DuBose Porter swung the conversation to Medicaid:
"Yet, to this day, Nathan Deal continues to play politics with the issue, denying health care to hundreds of thousands of Georgians who fall through the coverage gap. The same governor who says that we can't afford to expand Medicaid turns a blind eye to a $74 million tax bill owed by a company he sold—a transaction that pockets Deal $10,000 a month."
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed was celebratory:
"The ACA is now the law of the land, and millions of Americans are healthier and more financially secure as a result."
Rep. John Lewis, D-Atlanta, called the ruling a "turning point" securing the law:
"It is the duty of government to protect the rights of the citizens of this nation and to make this country better for the least among us and for generations yet unborn. We have a duty to take action on behalf of people who have advocates for themselves. In this wealthy nation, the poor and middle class too often deny themselves the care they need or fall into bankruptcy to get the medical attention they rightly deserved.
"Taking action to preserve the dignity, longevity, and fiscal stability of the people of this nation is the job of this Congress. Passing the Affordable Care Act was the right thing to do. Now let the leaders of this nation turn their attention to the other pressing problems before us, and end the debate over this public service once and for all."
House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, D-Atlanta, alluded to challenges ahead:
"More work must be done to ensure that all Americans have healthcare, no matter where they live. Too many families still have to choose between paying their medical bills and putting food on the table or getting a good education, and that must change. I look forward to working with my colleagues to provide Georgians in every corner of our state with the resources to lead healthy and productive lives."
We'll update this post with reactions from Georgia lawmakers as they stream in. In the meantime, you can read the Supreme Court's ruling here.
And for everything you've ever wanted to know about Obamacare in Georgia, check out the AJC's special coverage here.
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