Doheny, Long, Gibson on Obamacare ruling

We've seen some of the reaction from supporters of the Affordable Care Act to today's Supreme Court ruling that upheld the individual mandate. Here's what opponents of Obamacare are saying.

U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook: "When I ran for Congress in 2010, I heard time and time again from my constituents across New York that we need health care reform, but that the President’s health care bill was not the answer. In addition to multiple tax increases, failing to address rising costs, harming small businesses, and significantly increasing government involvement in health care, this bill stepped on our freedoms. Although the Supreme Court upheld the law by determining that the mandate equates to a tax on every American, it does not change what has become an indisputable reality in the last two years – the ACA is not the solution. We need to enact health care reform that lowers costs and increases access to quality care while protecting our freedoms. I respect that the Supreme Court has spoken, and the solution now must be legislative. We should begin substantive, bipartisan discussion on commonsense reforms – a number of which I have cosponsored or voted on already. I’m confident our replacement solutions can include insurance reform for wider access to options and choices, including coverage until 26 and beyond, medical liability reform, coverage for preexisting conditions and an assurance that coverage can’t be dropped when you get sick."

Republican House candidate Matt Doheny: "The Supreme Court today ruled that Bill Owens and Barack Obama passed one of the largest – if not the largest – tax increases in American history. The partisan ObamaCare bill has been, and will continue to be, a nightmare for the average upstate New Yorker. My opponent has left behind a string of broken promises. He said ObamaCare would pay for itself. It doesn’t. He said it would protect Medicare for seniors. It doesn’t. He said it would allow ordinary Americans to keep the health care plan they like. It doesn’t. And, the Supreme Court says it is constitutional under Congress’ ability to tax - making it a tax increase. ObamaCare has convinced job creators to stand on the sidelines, which has lead to our jobless recovery and kept our economy teetering on the brink of another recession. Americans know this bill is bad for our country. We must repeal this bill and that’s what I’ll do to put America back to work."

Republican Senate candidate Wendy Long: "Although I have yet to read fully all the opinions in this complicated ruling, I respectfully disagree that Obamacare's individual mandate is justified as a tax. But now that the Court majority has called it a ‘tax,’ as New York's next United States Senator, I will work to repeal this tax and replace it with a sensible plan to improve health insurance coverage for all Americans. Today's decision simply means that the fight to repeal Obamacare, and to lower all other taxes, rests with the elected representatives of the people, not with the Court. It is critically important now, more than ever, to elect Mitt Romney as President, and to elect U.S. Senators and members of Congress who will repeal and replace Obamacare. Otherwise, the Obamacare taxes will continue to suppress our economy, kill jobs, and damage American health care. Most New Yorkers, like all Americans, do not support the 'Affordable Care Act.' It is actually the opposite of 'affordable,' and it must be repealed."