Republican presidential candidates are not happy about the Supreme Court Obamacare ruling
Republicans were swift to denounce the Supreme Court's decision to uphold a key part of President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law on Thursday.
In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court upheld a provision that allows the federal government to issue subsidies to help low-income Americans buy health insurance. Within minutes, almost every Republican presidential candidate swiftly condemned the decision.
Here's how the candidates reacted.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R)
"This decision is not the end of the fight against Obamacare," Bush said in a statement.
"This fatally-flawed law imposes job-killing mandates, causes spending in Washington to skyrocket by $1.7 trillion, raises taxes by $1 trillion and drives up health care costs. Instead of fixing our health care system, it made the problems worse.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida)
In a brief statement, Rubio touted the Obamacare alternative that he rolled out earlier this year.
"Despite the Court's decision, ObamaCare is still a bad law that is having a negative impact on our country and on millions of Americans," he said. I remain committed to repealing this bad law and replacing it with my consumer-centered plan that puts patients and families back in control of their health care decisions.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker
Keeping with his message that Obama's policies hurt working class Americans, Gov. Walker emphasized the the Court's ruling could hurt middle class Americans.
"Workers have lost hours because of new costs faced by their employers, people have lost their insurance and cannot afford the dramatic premium and fee increases, and many can no longer see their preferred doctors," Walker said.
Walker also called on congressional Republicans to "redouble" their efforts to repeal the law.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky)
In a statement, Paul said that he knew the best way to reform Obamacare due to his experience as an ophthalmologist.
"This decision turns both the rule of law and common sense on its head. Obamacare raises taxes, harms patients and doctors, and is the wrong fix for America's health care system," Paul said.
"As a physician, I know Americans need a healthcare system that reconnects patients, families, and doctors, rather than growing government bureaucracy," he added.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R)
Immediately following the decision, Huckabee released a strongly-worded statement condemning the Court's interpretation.
"Our Founding Fathers didn't create a 'do-over' provision in our Constitution that allows unelected, Supreme Court justices the power to circumvent Congress and rewrite bad laws,"Huckabee said. "The Supreme Court cannot legislate from the bench, ignore the Constitution, and pass a multitrillion-dollar 'fix' to Obamacare simply because Congress misread what the states would actually do."
Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania)
In a statement, Santorum focused his attention on Hillary Clinton and touted his record opposing former President Bill Clinton's unsuccessful healthcare reform push.
"I am the one candidate in this race who has taken on the Clinton Machine on the issue of healthcare and won," he said.
"In my first race for the United States Senate, I defeated the author of HillaryCare in a campaign that was led by Paul Begala and James Carville. I am not afraid to debate Hillary Clinton on the issue of healthcare because I know that when the American people are given the choice, they will choose freedom and opportunity over a government-knows-best approach to the most personal decision in their lives."
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
Following the ruling, Graham slammed Congress for failing to proofread Obamacare before passing it.
"This case was brought before the Supreme Court because President Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress rammed through their hastily and deeply flawed legislation to create Obamacare, apparently without even proofreading their own bill. The result has been a disaster from day one," Graham said.
Carly Fiorina
"It is outrageous that the Supreme Court once again rewrote ObamaCare to save this deeply flawed law despite the plain text and in the face of overwhelming evidence that the law is not working for the majority of Americans," the former Hewlett-Packard CEO wrote in a message on her Facebook page.
Ben Carson
"Obamacare fundamentally increases the power of the government over the people and healthcare providers. While I resent what the court has done, it only causes me to work even harder to make sure the next President will repeal and replace Obamacare with sensible consumer empowering solutions that remove the government from the patient/doctor relationship," the retired neurosurgeon Carson said in a statement.
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R)
"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," the former Texas governor said in a statement.
"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."
Former New York Gov. George Pataki
"While I'm disappointed the Supreme Court has again stretched to find a way to save Obamacare, the decision simply makes plain the need to repeal it and it's broken promises and replace it with a patient-centric, market-based system like we did when I was Governor of New York," Pataki said.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R)
"Republicans must outline a clear and coherent vision for health care to win the trust of the American people to repeal Obamacare. And right now, I am the only candidate to put forward a comprehensive plan," Jindal said.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R)
On the heels of news that he'll likely launch his presidential campaign next week, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie slammed the court's logic in the case.