King v. Burwell: Federal, State Delegations React To SCOTUS Decision
AG Scott Pruitt Comments on U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on ACA
OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Scott Pruitt commented on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the King v. Burwell case.
“It’s disappointing the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Obama administration’s executive rewriting of the Affordable Care Act by ruling on the context of the statute rather than the plain language of the law. The court acknowledged that the challengers’ arguments were strong, but focused instead on the outcome of their opinion. There’s no doubt the rule of law took a hit today, but I won’t be deterred from continuing to fight for the rule of law and our founding principles.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2015
Governor Mary Fallin Statement on King v. Burwell Ruling
OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today released the following statement in response to the United States Supreme Court’s decision in King v. Burwell:
“The Supreme Court’s decision today in King v. Burwell means that taxpayers will be, for the time being, stuck with a law that is deeply flawed, disruptive to the lives of American families and a destructive force in our economy.
“As I and others have argued for years, states need flexibility to pursue their own health care solutions tailored to the needs of their constituents; Obamacare does the opposite by pursuing one-size-fits-all policies. Health care decisions need to be left to doctors and patients; Obamacare erodes that relationship and replaces it with decisions made by bureaucrats. Successful health care reform would make health care less expensive and would focus on improved health; but Obamacare has led to ballooning insurance premiums shouldered by hardworking families without corresponding improvements in health outcomes.
“Regardless of the court’s ruling today, the status quo cannot be allowed to stand. Now, more than ever, the American people need Congress to use its powers to move the country towards constructive, market-oriented solutions that empower families, provide flexibility to states, improve health and reduce the cost of health care.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2015
Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb Statement on King v. Burwell Ruling
Oklahoma City – Lt. Governor Todd Lamb today released the following statement in response to the United States Supreme Court decision in King v. Burwell.
“I am disappointed, but not surprised, that our liberal judiciary has sided with the Obama administration and opted for judicial activism instead of a strict interpretation of the actual law as written. This activism reinvigorates my steadfast belief in states’ rights. It is more important than ever to keep state issues out of the federal court system.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2015
INHOFE STATEMENT ON KING VS. BURWELL DECISION
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), a leading Senate conservative who has long opposed Obamacare, released the following statement today amidst the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Obamacare.
“I am disappointed the Supreme Court ignored the clear writing of the law,” said Inhofe. “By doing this, the Court is allowing subsidies to be awarded on federally established exchanges, further preserving the law. Obamacare has been broken from the very beginning. Rather than reduce the cost and increase the availability of health care options, the law has centralized decision-making in Washington to the detriment of the American people. Despite this ruling, my colleagues and I remain committed to repealing Obamacare and replacing it with patient-centered reforms that will reduce the cost of care such that subsidies are not required to make health insurance affordable.”
On March 4, 2015 the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the King v. Burwell case, concerning whether individuals in states with Federally-Facilitated Exchanges are eligible for premium subsidies. Oklahoma was the first state to challenge the legality of an IRS rule.
Sen. Inhofe is an original cosponsor of S. 336, the Obamacare Repeal Act and supports using budget reconciliation as a tool to repeal the law.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2015
Congressman Russell – SCOTUS decision doesn’t change that the Affordable Care Act is bad law
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Steve Russell (R-OK) issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s ruling of King v. Burwell:
“The Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, continues to be unaffordable for the American public. Today’s decision does nothing to change the setback Obamacare has been for the American people and the choices they have providing themselves healthcare. If government healthcare in the Veterans Administration is any indicator, we can predict higher costs, poorer care, and more government inefficiencies. Now the state of Oklahoma, and others like it, will have no choice but to submit to a bad law the people don’t want. We in Congress will continue to fight for the people against these growing concerns.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2014
Lucas: “It’s time to repeal this mess”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) today released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s King v. Burwell ruling to uphold Obamacare’s federal subsidies for state-run health exchanges.
“Today’s Supreme Court ruling doesn’t change the reality that Obamacare has failed to live up to most of its promises – premiums have risen and care choices are even more limited,”said Congressman Lucas.
“The president may be content with Obamacare narrowly surviving legitimate legal questions and the public’s concerns. However, I continue to believe it’s time to repeal this mess and replace it with a patient-centered system that doesn’t assume one size fits all when it comes to you and your family’s health care decisions.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2015
Congressman Jim Bridenstine Joins Dissent on SCOTUS Obamacare Subsidies
Despite the Supreme Court’s decision, Obamacare is still the number one job killer in America and responsible for the massive increases in insurance premiums. I am committed to repealing Obamacare – every single word – and replacing it with a system which empowers states and individuals to have the freedom and flexibility to make their own health care decisions.
The important facts in the healthcare debate are:
- Health insurance costs are up because of Obamacare – regardless of subsidies.
- Only 13% of Oklahomans receive the subsidies. (LINK) Many of them would prefer to have their previous, lower cost plans and forget subsidies.
- Requested rate increases for 2016 are as high as 44% for ACA-compliant plans available in Oklahoma. (LINK)
These facts stand regardless of today’s Supreme Court decision.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2015
Lankford: This ruling sets a difficult precedent for the future of legal interpretation
WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) issued the following statement on the Supreme Court ruling on King v. Burwell:
“I have opposed Obamacare from day one and I am profoundly disappointed with today’s Supreme Court decision. Obamacare continues to be a nightmare for millions of Americans who are facing higher premiums, higher deductibles, and fewer health care options.
“This ruling sets a difficult precedent for the future of legal interpretation. The court ruled that because the text of the law is ‘inartful’ in other areas, they assumed it was also inartful related to the state exchange. Oklahomans shouldn’t pay the price for regulators’ free interpretation. The problems with Obamacare run deeper than just drafting errors. Washington Democrats jammed this poorly written law through Congress five years ago and the resulting ambiguity is one of the many problems we will face for years to come.”
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For Immediate Release
OPI Statement: Supreme Court health care decision is a victory for Oklahomans
Oklahoma Policy Institute’s Policy Director Gene Perry released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court decision upholding subsidies for insurance purchased on the Affordable Care Act federal marketplace:
The Supreme Court decision is a victory for tens of thousands of Oklahomans and millions of Americans. The Affordable Care Act’s subsidies are helping more than 87,000 Oklahomans purchase affordable health coverage and making Oklahoma a stronger, healthier state.
This decision cements the reality that the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land and is here to stay. It is time for Oklahoma lawmakers to move past fruitless obstruction of the law and shift that energy into making sure that it succeeds in providing access to affordable coverage to as many Oklahomans as possible.
A good start would be to accept federal funds to extend health coverage to the 150,000 low-income, working Oklahomans in a “coverage crater” because they make too much to qualify for Soonercare but not enough to receive subsidies on the federal marketplace. States that have accepted federal dollars to expand Medicaid have seen large gains in the number of adults with health insurance and given more citizens access to lifesaving screenings and treatments, all while saving money in state budgets. Hospitals in expansion states are treating fewer uninsured patients, and the amount of “uncompensated care” they are providing is declining steeply.