Among the area's congressional representatives, reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling Thursday on President Obama's healthcare overhaul were diametrically opposed, mirroring their respective parties and the dialogue on Capitol Hill.
On one side, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), who called the 5-4 vote to uphold Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — including the mandate that nearly all Americans have insurance by 2014 or pay a tax penalty — “the correct legal decision.”
He also praised conservative Chief Justice John G. Roberts, who wrote the opinion for the majority and joined his more liberal colleagues on the bench to uphold the healthcare law.
By doing so, Schiff said, Roberts “chose a different legacy,” and avoided becoming part of a partisan institution — something that was “enormously important to maintaining the independence and reputation of the court.”
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-San Fernando Valley) agreed, commending Roberts in a statement issued after ruling for his “well reasoned” legal analysis.