Rep. Schiff hails Supreme Court ruling upholding healthcare law

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) today called the U.S. Supreme Court’s vote to uphold President Obama's healthcare law "the correct legal decision," contending that the "hard-passed" reforms would benefit millions of people across the nation.

In a statement released shortly after the ruling was made public, Schiff said he was “very pleased” with the court’s decision to uphold Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- the most contentious issue being the so-called mandate that all must have insurance by 2014 or pay a tax penalty.

"I am very pleased to see that the Supreme Court has upheld the health care reform law,” Schiff said in his statement. “These hard-passed reforms will be beneficial to the country -- already, 17 million children with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied coverage by insurers, seniors have received additional help with prescription drug prices, college graduates can stay on their parents policies, small employers and the self-employed will soon be able to purchase health insurance at bulk discount rates, and millions of Americans will have health insurance for the first time.

The court’s long-awaited ruling rejected a broad legal attack on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act brought by Republican state officials and the National Federation of Independent Business.

Addressing his colleagues in Congress today, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said the court’s ruling would not keep Republicans from trying to repeal “this terrible law.”

The legal challenge focused on the individual mandate to purchase health insurance by 2014 or pay a tax penalty.

The administration defended this requirement under Congress’s power to regulate inter-state commerce. The challengers insisted the mandate was unprecedented and unconstitutional because the federal government would be forcing Americans to buy a private product.

Perhaps surprising was the fact that conservative Chief Justice John G. Roberts, who wrote the opinion for a 5-4 majority, joined his more liberal colleagues on the bench to uphold the healthcare law.

At the risk of the High Court becoming yet another partisan institution, Schiff said Roberts “chose a different legacy,” adding that the ruling was not only the correct legal decision, “it was also enormously important to maintaining the independence and reputation of the court."

FULL COVERAGE/L.A. TIMES

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-- Jason Wells, Times Community News, with reporting from David G. Savage at the Los Angeles Times

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