Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was "shocked and surprised" about the Supreme Court's health decision. She was not alone. In fact, it is probably fair to say that nearly everyone was shocked and surprised to find out that Chief Justice John Roberts was the deciding vote.
What other Floridians are saying:
Gov. Rick Scott: “Today’s decision by the Supreme Court of the United States is simply disappointing. The tax question was repeatedly refuted by members of Congress who helped pass this health care takeover. The Justices have declared that the central provision of ObamaCare is a judicially mandated tax. A new tax pure and simple."
Sen. Marco Rubio: “What’s important to remember is that what the Court rules on is whether something is constitutional or not, not whether it’s a good idea. And while the Court has said that the law is constitutional, it remains a bad idea for our economy, and I hope that in the fall we will have a majority here that will not just repeal this law, but replace it with real solutions that will insure more people and cost a lot less money.”
Sen. Bill Nelson: “A lot of us feel the health-care law wasn’t perfect. But it was needed. Our system was broken and we had to do something. Insurance companies were refusing to cover people or dropping those who got sick. So, we passed legislation to prevent insurers from running roughshod over people. And today, the Supreme Court upheld most of these reforms. Now, I think it’s time we finish the job of fixing our economy and creating more jobs. “
Adam Hasner: "The fact that the Supreme Court had to get involved at all proves Washington's dysfunction, and the inability of both parties to work together to forge common-sense solutions for the American people."
U.S. Rep. Allen West: "The United States Supreme Court has ruled to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act by extending the power of the United States Congress to tax Americans' behavior. This is a sad day for Americans, as they will be taxed to pay for benefits they may not need or want as part of the insurance they are forced to buy. With this decision, Congress has been granted infinite taxation power, and there are no longer any limits on what the federal government can tax its citizens to do.
U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings: "I have always advocated for access to universal health care with a public option. With the Affordable Care Act, we have taken a huge step towards putting patients and their doctors, rather than big insurance companies, in charge of an individual’s health care decisions. While I am pleased that this important legislation was upheld by the Supreme Court, there is still work to be done. I hope that my Republican colleagues will now do their part and end their partisan attacks by putting the interests of Americans’ health care needs first.”
Kirk Wagar: "Today was a good start getting insurance companies out of the Healthcare decision market. Good for patients, good for doctors, good for hospitals."