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Republican Leaders Vow To Keep Fighting Obamacare Despite Supreme Court Loss

Kira Lerner Twitter
Supporters of the Affordable Care Act hold up signs as the opinion for health care is reported outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, Thursday June 25, 2015. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the nationwide tax subsidies under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, in a ruling that preserves health insurance for millions of Americans. The justices said in a 6–3 ruling that the subsidies that 8.7 million people currently receive to make insurance affordable do not depend on where they live, under the 2010 health care law. CREDIT: AP PHOTO/JACQUELYN MARTIN
Supporters of the Affordable Care Act hold up signs as the opinion for health care is reported outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, Thursday June 25, 2015. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the nationwide tax subsidies under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, in a ruling that preserves health insurance for millions of Americans. The justices said in a 6–3 ruling that the subsidies that 8.7 million people currently receive to make insurance affordable do not depend on where they live, under the 2010 health care law. CREDIT: AP PHOTO/JACQUELYN MARTIN

After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of President Barack Obama’s landmark health insurance law on Thursday, Republican lawmakers in Congress and other conservative leaders were quick to express their anger, calling the ruling “outrageous” and “judicial tyranny.”

Even though the law has now survived two Supreme Court challenges, Republicans quickly shared their reactions to the King v. Burwell decision, which ensured that roughly 6.4 million Americans will get to keep their health care subsidies.

Many of the 13 Republican candidates who have launched their campaigns for the presidency in 2016 issued statements expressing their disappointment and promising to continue fighting the law. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said the court “erred” in “forcing Obamacare on the American people,” while former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said he is disappointed but the “decision is not the end of the fight against Obamacare.” Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee called the ruling “judicial tyranny” and asked Congress to “repeal the nightmare of Obamacare.” Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he disagreed with the ruling but “it was never up to the Supreme Court to save us from Obamacare.” Carly Fiorina called the ruling “outrageous” and said the “deeply flawed law” needs to be repealed.

Others weighed in on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/614087235831513088https://twitter.com/ChrisChristie/status/614085054227214338 https://twitter.com/ScottWalker/status/614087734903373824 https://twitter.com/BobbyJindal/status/614094152893120512https://twitter.com/GovernorPataki/status/614086639414038532

Republican members of Congress also shared their disappointment, often repeating each other’s talking points. https://twitter.com/SenatorRounds/status/614083907751931904 https://twitter.com/repjohnkline/status/614086142321950720 https://twitter.com/SenatorWicker/status/614086585190076416

And on the Senate floor, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) called the law a “rolling disaster for the American people”and said the ruling will not change “Obamacare’s multitude of broken promises.”

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Despite their vows to replace the Affordable Care Act, most of the GOP presidential candidates and Republican lawmakers lacked plans or provided deeply flawed options to replace the legislation.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also weighed in on Thursday. “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,” she said. “It’s time to move on.”