Here’s How Democratic Presidential Contenders Reacted to the Obamacare Decision

3 minute read
A sign is held up that reads "ACA Is Here To Stay" front of the US Supreme Court after ruling was announced in favor of the Affordable Care Act. June 25, 2015 in Washington, DC.
A sign is held up that reads "ACA Is Here To Stay" front of the US Supreme Court after ruling was announced in favor of the Affordable Care Act. June 25, 2015 in Washington, DC.Mark Wilson—Getty Images
By Sam Frizell

The Democratic presidential candidates were happy with a Supreme Court decision upholding a key part of the Affordable Care Act.

But there were some telling differences in how they expressed that happiness.

Minutes after the ruling came down, frontrunner Hillary Clinton tweeted her support for the high court’s decision.

Clinton, who has long favored reducing the uninsured rate and pushed for an individual mandate during the 2008 primaries, has suggested minor improvements to Obamacare since leaving office as Secretary of State. In a statement on Thursday, Clinton touted the law.

The Affordable Care Act isn’t perfect, but the evidence is clear: it’s working. Sixteen million Americans have gained coverage. Millions of young people are able to stay on their parents’ plans. Insurance companies can no longer discriminate against people with preexisting conditions or charge women higher rates just because of their gender.

Republicans should stop trying to tear down the law and start working across party lines to build on these successes.

I’ve fought for the promise of quality, affordable health care for every American for decades. And I’m not going to stop now. Anyone seeking to lead our country should stand up and support this decision.

All in all, she takes a similar stance to Obama, and a picture is worth a 1000 words:

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a self-proclaimed socialist, has said he views Obamacare as a step in the right direction, but has repeatedly called for a single-payer system in which the government pays for all health care costs, rather than private insurers. It’s a system used by most developed countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and the Scandinavian nations.

After the Supreme Court ruling, Sanders nodded at the decision but repeated his call.

The Supreme Court recognized the common-sense reading of the Affordable Care Act that Congress intended to help all eligible Americans obtain health insurance whether they get it through state or national exchanges. Access to affordable health care should not depend on where you live.

At a time when the United States in the only major country on earth that doesn’t guarantee health care to all Americans – and 35 million of our citizens today still lack insurance – it would have been an outrage to throw 6.4 million more people off health insurance.

What the United States should do is join every other major nation and recognize that health care is a right of citizenship. A Medicare-for-all, single-payer system would provide better care at less cost for more Americans.

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley praised the Supreme Court decision, but also called for new ways to improve costs. As mayor of Baltimore and governor of Maryland, O’Malley pushed a data-driven approach to cost reduction and management. He doubled down on that wonkiness in his statement.

The Affordable Care Act has helped more than 17 million Americans access quality and affordable health coverage. Now that the Supreme Court has, once again, upheld the Affordable Care Act, we must continue to build and improve upon this hard won-progress. With the national goal of universal coverage now affirmed, we must reduce costs by improving wellness. Innovations for better coordinated care, personalized medicine, and the alignment of profit incentives to promote wellness make all of this possible.

Finally, former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee tweeted his support and touted his home state.

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