In a 5 to 4 decision released today, the Supreme Court upheld President Obama’s Affordable Care Act legislation, enacted by Congress in 2010 to address rising healthcare costs and reduce the number of Americans without health insurance.

People For the American Way President Michael Keegan released the following statement:

“Today’s decision is an important win for the American people. The Court recognized that our Constitution gives Congress the authority to address the challenges that face our nation—and that Congress acted appropriately by using its power to address the crisis in our health care system.

“What’s shocking about this decision is that it isn’t unanimous. By any reasonable standard, the constitutionality of Obamacare is not a close question. Ultra-conservative ideologues have been remarkably successful in pushing the Court far, far to the right and in using the Court to advance their political ideology. If the right-wing Justices on this Court want to write our laws, they should run for Congress; if they’d rather remain on the bench, they should do their own jobs, not someone else’s.

“Today’s close call will make the Supreme Court a major issue for progressives and independents. Mitt Romney’s decision to appoint Robert Bork as his chief advisor on judicial nominations makes it clear that he’s interested in stacking the Court with more of the kind of Justices who wanted to scrap protections for children and people with preexisting conditions. Voters will remember this decision when they go to the polls in November.”

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