Texas Leaders React to SCOTUS Decision on Obamacare Subsidies

In a 6-3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the subsidies received by people who live in states with no state exchanges are constitutional. The ruling in King v. Burwell, a second Obama victory before the Supreme Court, ensures that those receiving these subsidies will be able to continue on the program.

Texas leaders quickly reacted.

“The Supreme Court abandoned the Constitution to resuscitate a failing healthcare law,” said Governor Greg Abbott in a statement obtained by Breitbart Texas. “Today’s action underscores why it is now more important than ever to ensure we elect a President who will repeal Obamacare and enact real healthcare reforms.”

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a press release Thursday morning, “This is unfortunate news for the millions of Americans who have experienced first-hand the devastating effects Obamacare has had on their families and businesses. While today’s ruling is disappointing, Obamacare remains one of the broadest overreaches of federal authority in our nation’s history and we must continue to call on our leaders in Washington to step up and put an end to this job-killing law.”

Former Governor Rick Perry, a 2016 presidential candidate, quickly added the following in a press release:

The Obama Administration has ignored the text of the Affordable Care Act time and again, and today’s ruling allows them to continue to disregard the letter of the law. While I disagree with the ruling, it was never up to the Supreme Court to save us from Obamacare. We need leadership in the White House that recognizes the folly of having to pass a bill to know what’s in it. We need leadership that understands a heavy-handed, one-size-fits-all policy does nothing to help health outcomes for Americans.

With individual premiums up more than 50 percent and nearly 5 million people losing their health plans, Americans deserve better than what we’re getting with Obamacare. It’s time we repealed Obamacare and replaced it with truly affordable, patient centered-health care reform, and I look forward to laying out my ideas on this issue.

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), also a 2016 presidential candidate, appeared to anticipate a very different ruling from the Supreme Court earlier this month. On June 11, the Senator tweeted:

The #SCOTUS King vs. Burwell ruling on #Obamacare could be a real opportunity for Congress to lead. #FullRepeal http://t.co/L2JgftGeCH

— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) June 11, 2015

“The President’s health care law has been a major disappointment for hard-working Americans,” said Congressman Randy Weber in a statement. “Families are being forced to pay higher premiums for less coverage. The President promised that under this law all would be covered. According to the Texas Hospital Association, in my district alone, 164,976 Texans are still uninsured. Healthcare should be an affordable choice, not a mandate on taxpayers. The Supreme Court’s decision today further reinforces the fact that in President Obama’s America, the law no longer matters. The fight is not over. I will continue working to dismantle the President’s takeover of healthcare.”

Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX) also took issue with the Court’s ruling, saying in a statement, “The decision by the Supreme Court is flat wrong! The law clearly states that in order for an individual to receive a subsidy, that individual has to obtain his or her health insurance through a health exchange set up by a state – i.e. Texas. The Supreme Court is not interpreting the law and upholding the Constitution, it is setting social policy according to the whim of the justices. In my opinion, this is wrong.”

“This does nothing to change the fact that ObamaCare continues to hurt millions of the people that it was allegedly supposed to help,” Barton continued. “This law has negatively changed the landscape of healthcare in our country. It should be about the private and personal relationship between a patient and a doctor, instead ObamaCare turns healthcare into a complicated web of regulations and laws that now involves government boards and the IRS.

Bob Price is a senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas and a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.