Texas Democrats, Progressive Organizations React to SCOTUS Ruling on Affordable Care Act

by: Katherine Haenschen

Fri Jun 29, 2012 at 09:00 AM CDT

Once the SCOTUS ruled, Texas Democrats sent out a wide range of statements praising the impact of the ruling on the 24.6% of Texans who are currently uninsured.

State Senator Leticia Van De Putte provided us with some helpful figures about what the ACA is already doing here in Texas:

300,371 young adults gained health care coverage through their parents' plan
4,029 individuals with preexisting conditions now have health care
55,280 seniors saved an average of $1,384 on prescription drugs
3,836,000 received preventive care with no co-pays

No wonder Republicans are calling for its repeal -- the Affordable Care Act just helps too darn many working people!

Below the jump, read public statements from the following great Democrats and progressive organizations:

State Rep. Rafael Anchia
State Rep. Carol Alvarado
Center for Public Policy Priorities
State Rep. Garnet Coleman
State Rep. Joe Deshotel
Congressman Lloyd Doggett
State Rep. Dawnna Dukes
State Senator Rodney Ellis
State Rep. and MALC Chairman Trey Martinez Fischer
NARAL Pro-Choice America
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
TDP Chair Gilberto Hinojosa
TDP Spokeswoman Rebecca Acuña
Congressman Silvestre Reyes
State Senator Carlos Uresti
State Senator Leticia Van De Putte
State Rep. Marc Veasey

Click "There's More" and see what they had to say about this historic ruling.  

State Rep. Carol Alvarado:

"Today is a great day for health care in Texas.  The Supreme Court's ruling on health care reform reflects the continued need to ensure that every one regardless of age, gender, or financial status is provided access to health care.
 
In a state like Texas, which has the highest uninsured rate in the nation, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has already made huge differences in helping individuals and families receive life-saving health care services.  Hundreds of thousands of young adults have already gained health care coverage and seniors are already seeing savings on their prescription medications.  Texans can only continue to benefit from additional provisions of the law that focus on improving access, quality, and preventative care services. 
 
Being the number one uninsured state in the nation is unacceptable.  The ACA has provided a guide to help Texas move in the right direction.  This is not the time for the state to look for ways to prohibit or delay many of the great benefits this law will provide to millions of Texans.  We as legislators need to be proactive and ensure that this constitutional law is adhered to because Texans are counting on us."

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State Rep. Rafael Anchia:

"While many will view today's decision through a political prism, and try to predict winners and losers in our electoral polls, said Rep. Anchia, "I see the big winners today as the American people. In a state where one out of every four residents does not have health insurance, the Supreme Court ruling today will provide health security for millions of Texans."

"I hope that Congress and the Texas legislature can now put aside the animosity that has kept them from focusing on what is best for the American people, which is getting the economy back on track and putting people back to work."

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Center for Public Policy Priorities:

"Today's Supreme Court decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is great news for Texas families. With more than 6 million Texans uninsured and billions of dollars in federal funding on the table for our state, Texas has the most to gain from today's pivotal decision."

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State Rep. Garnet Coleman:

"Today's decision upholding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a victory for the American people and particularly for Texans. We currently have the highest uninsured rate in the country; about a quarter of all Texans lack health insurance. Thanks to President Obama's leadership in finally passing comprehensive health reform, our state's situation is about to improve dramatically. In just a few years, the Affordable Care Act will bring our record high uninsured rate down to single digits, no one will be denied care due to a pre-existing condition, and lifetime limits will be a thing of the past.

The law is already working. In Texas, 357,000 young adults gained insurance coverage as a result of the health care law, 22,1395 people with Medicare received a $250 rebate to help pay for their prescription drugs, and 2,208,969 people with Medicare received free preventive services such as cancer screenings and annual wellness visits.

All Texans, regardless of party, income, or health status, should be thrilled by the Supreme Court's ruling today. After two decades of working to help Texans get access to better healthcare and just recently having served on President Obama's Working Group of State Legislators for Health Reform, I cannot tell you how fulfilling this is for me personally. Most importantly, I am pleased that we can all finally put this behind us and move forward together to work for a better Texas. The Affordable Care Act is now unquestionably the law of the land."

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State Rep. Joe Deshotel:

"Today our conservative-leaning Supreme Court made the right decision in upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Healthcare Act - reiterating that healthcare is a right for every American and not just a privilege for the well-to-do. Texas will be the nation's greatest beneficiary. Currently we have the highest percentage of uninsured persons and our legislature continues to cut funding for public health services. Because of today's outcome our healthcare system will now embrace preventative measures that will save countless lives and dollars in the future. I applaud this landmark decision and look forward to working with our state leaders to ensure that the right of healthcare access becomes a reality for all Texans."

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Congressman Lloyd Doggett:

"This is a significant victory for every family and small business denied insurance or overcharged or mistreated by an insurer.  And it is a victory for seniors who gain better Medicare coverage.  Now we must continue our struggle to overcome the naysayers and obstructionists to assure each family has access to a family doctor."

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State Rep. Dawnna Dukes:

"The Supreme Court has done the right thing in ensuring that all Texans have access to the health care coverage they need and deserve. This is a victory for all Americans. Unfortunately, in Texas, we experience the highest percentage of residents without health insurance coverage at 24.6%. The Affordable Care Act will prevent children from being denied coverage for pre-existing conditions, lower drug costs for seniors and allow students and young adults to stay on their parents' plan."

"Now that the Affordable Care Act has been deemed Constitutional, it's time for Governor Rick Perry to put in motion plans to make certain that Texas is in full compliance with the law. There is no reason to further delay fulfilling all the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, including establishing a health insurance exchange and expanding the Medicaid program to give over six million Texans without insurance healthcare coverage at affordable prices."

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State Senator Rodney Ellis:

"I am extremely thankful that the U.S. Supreme Court did the right thing and upheld the Affordable Care Act.  While not perfect, this law was passed overwhelmingly by both chambers of Congress after months of deliberation and was supported by virtually every major health organization in the nation.  It is the greatest step toward universal access to affordable health care since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid, and it will help millions of uninsured Americans receive the care they need and deserve.

"People may disagree on the law, but one fact is indisputable - many people have and will benefit from the Affordable Care Act.  While a large number of the provisions will do not take effect until 2014, many of the most popular are already in effect, and Texans are benefitting.  Today, millions of women get preventive services like mammograms and pap smears without a co-pay. Health plans must now spend 80 to 85 percent of every premium dollar on health care, insurers can no longer deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions, young adults can be covered under their parents plan until 26 years, and tax credits are available to small businesses to help cover premium costs.  More than 120 of Texas' largest employers have received over $445 million in federal support to make early retiree health coverage more affordable.  In addition, 2.2 million Texas seniors in Medicare received preventive services or check-ups with no co-pay, and Texans saved $135 million on prescription drugs as a result of closing the Medicare prescription drug 'donut hole.'  The greatest gains will come in 2014 when approximately 2 million more uninsured Texans will gain coverage through Medicaid and CHIP.  

"Critics of the Affordable Care Act constantly say 'Texas knows how to take care of Texans better than Washington.'  Reality says otherwise.  Texas leads the nation in percentage uninsured, has one of the highest poverty and food insecurity rates, and has vast shortages of doctors, dentists, and nurses.  In fact, Texas ranks at or near the bottom in nearly every important health care statistic you can name, and just chose to cut $10  billion more from our health care budget, including under-funding Medicaid by about $4 billion, plus deeper cuts to already-minimal services.

"Having access to quality, affordable health insurance is a fundamental human right and not a privilege.  The Supreme Court has spoken and the Affordable Care Act is now officially the law of the land.  It is long past time to remove narrow politics from the health care debate and focus on truly improving health of women, children, and all Americans.  We can and must do better."

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State Rep. and MALC Chairman Trey Martinez Fischer:

"As of today, Texas Latinos are 3 for 3 in Supreme Court rulings this year. In redistricting, immigration, and now healthcare, the Supreme Court has held Governor Perry's and Attorney General Abbott's war with the federal government at bay.
 
Early this year, the Supreme Court rejected Attorney General Abbott's efforts to utilize the Texas Legislature's discriminatory redistricting maps, which lacked pre-clearance, as interim redistricting maps for 2012. This week, the Supreme Court affirmed that ill-advised and discriminatory state action on immigration policy is unconstitutional. Finally, today, the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act. In each of these cases the Governor and the Attorney General have been on the losing side. Texas' costly ideological war with the federal government is crippling our future.
 
Beyond the partisan politics, it is clear the Affordable Care Act victory is a Latino victory. Across the country, 5.4 million Latinos who would otherwise be uninsured will gain coverage by 2016. Further, 736,000 Latino young adults, between the ages of 19 and 25 who would have been uninsured, can now have coverage under their parent's employer-sponsored or individually purchased health plan. Meanwhile, in Texas, Governor Perry and the Republican Legislature cut $5 billion dollars from public health and are making us the uninsured capital of the nation.
 
Today's decision makes everyone's life and health more secure. We are one of the wealthiest states on Earth and no one should face financial ruin due to an illness or accident."

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Nancy Keenan, President, NARAL Pro-Choice America:

"The Affordable Care Act marks the greatest advancement for women's health in a generation. This law will bring 30 million Americans into a health-care system that includes affordable family-planning services, better access to contraception, and maternity care. The Supreme Court's decision to uphold the law is a tremendous victory for American women."

"Gov. Romney and his anti-choice allies have fought tooth and nail to make it harder for women to get the health care they need," Keenan said. "Attacking the health-care law in court was only one front in these politicians' War on Women. Gov. Romney wants to allow insurance companies to continue to charge women more money for health-care services than men. He also supports allowing insurers and corporations to deny women birth-control coverage. The Supreme Court's decision is further evidence that these politicians are deeply out of touch with Americans' values and priorities."

"We stand with the millions of American women and families who will finally get access to quality, affordable health care thanks to this law. We need to keep President Obama in office to make sure that all of the benefits of the Affordable Care Act are implemented, not rolled back by anti-choice politicians."

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Rea Carey, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:

"This ruling is a victory for millions of people - including LGBT people and our families - who don't have access to adequate, affordable health care. Health care reform is about revamping a severely broken system to help everyone get a fair shake when it comes to keeping themselves and their families healthy and out of harm's way. It is about making sure everyone has access to affordable health care when faced with injury and illness. It is based on the premise that no one get hung out to dry - to literally die in some cases - because they were denied affordable health care in one of the richest countries in the world.

"This ruling is fair and humane, but it also reminds us of the work that remains to be done. People of color and economically impoverished people are disproportionately affected by health inequities. We have also long known that LGBT people - particularly LGBT people of color - suffer from higher rates of health disparities, and we continue to press for reform that addresses the stark realities that many of us face every day. This advocacy includes urging the Department of Health and Human Services to use its authority to make inroads in areas such as data collection and research on LGBT health disparities. We celebrate today, but also pledge to keep pressing forward."

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Congressman Silvestre Reyes:

"I am proud to see that the Supreme Court upheld the individual mandate in this historic Act.  The long overdue and dramatic changes within the Affordable Care Act are fundamental to the improvement of the health care system.  The Supreme Court affirmed our progress and protected that right, securing a future of health and economic security for the middle class and for every American.  This historic legislation came at a crucial time for our city with over 230,000 people uninsured in 2009. When the new law is fully implemented, in just a few years, El Pasoans who now lack health insurance will receive coverage - many for the first time.

"Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies cover recommended preventive services, including mammograms, colonoscopies, immunizations, and pre-natal and new baby care, without charging deductibles, co-payments or co-insurance. So far 90,000 El Pasoans have benefited from this change, including 26,000 children and 33,000 women. This legislation has also provided new tax credits to approximately 360 small businesses in El Paso to help maintain or expand health care coverage to their employees.  The Affordable Care Act was a major victory for Texas and the El Paso community, and I will continue to work hard to ensure that the health of border residents is a top priority in Congress."

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Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa:

"Today's decision on The Affordable Health Care Act by the Supreme Court is a vindication of President Barack Obama and a slam in the faces of Republicans who offer no alternative to this country's broken health care system. A choice between bankruptcy or death is no choice at all.

Health care that's affordable to only the rich and the healthy is a dark and shameful blotch on the greatest country on earth. Mitt Romney offers no solution. Texas Governor Rick Perry certainly doesn't, and Texas Senator John Cornyn used the desperately needed health care of Americans to score political points. Cornyn's use of today's Supreme Court's decision to call for his own reelection and the defeat of President Obama is pandering at its worst and exactly why Americans are tired of the Republican lockstep obsessive hatred of President Obama and Democrats.

Rick Perry called the court's decision "a punch to the stomach." Rick Perry should know about stomach punches after subjecting Texans to unneeded cuts to education, women's health, firefighters, and infrastructure support. Add that to his embarrassing Presidential campaign and many Texans felt stomach punched. Perry also used this opportunity to scream bloody murder about states' rights once again. I imagine he'll threaten to secede by tomorrow.



Texas Democrats believe that health care for Americans with pre-existing conditions, our children until age 25, and affordable health insurance for all is a victory for Texans."

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Texas Democratic Party spokeswoman Rebecca Acuña:

"Today's Supreme Court decision is a victory for Texans. The health care law is the only lifeline for many Texans and Americans who had nowhere to turn when they got sick. Women can celebrate that their gender is no longer considered a pre-existing condition. Texans can have the peace of mind that they won't be shoved off their policies when they need it most.
 
Republicans like Rick Perry railed against the health care law but never offered a plan that would help save lives. Instead Texas Republicans put government between a woman and her doctor and ended preventive care for thousands of Texas women.
 
It's time for Republicans to drop their frivolous lawsuits and"Today's Supreme Court decision is a victory for Texans. The health care law is the only lifeline for many Texans and Americans who had nowhere to turn when they got sick. Women can celebrate that their gender is no longer considered a pre-existing condition. Texans can have the peace of mind that they won't be shoved off their policies when they need it most.
 
Republicans like Rick Perry railed against the health care law but never offered a plan that would help save lives. Instead Texas Republicans put government between a woman and her doctor and ended preventive care for thousands of Texas women.
 
It's time for Republicans to drop their frivolous lawsuits and and move forward to implement the law in a way that will benefit most Texans."

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State Senator Carlos Uresti:

"The Supreme Court ruling is great news for working Americans who have struggled to provide health care for their families. By laying the constitutionality question to rest, the high court has cleared the way for this historic law to be fully implemented. It is a great day for the rule of law and the future of health care in America."

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State Senator Leticia Van De Putte:

"I'm extremely pleased that the Affordable Care Act, which has already benefited so many Texans, will continue to bring care to people who otherwise would not have health insurance," said Sen. Van de Putte. "Today, 32 million have the promise of healthcare, including 9 million Latinos and 6 million Texans.

"As a pharmacist, I swear an oath that reads, I will consider the welfare of humanity and relief of human suffering my primary concerns. I am so proud that President Obama and the federal government will do so as well."

"As a health care professional, I'm glad that the government will finally address the fact that one in every four Texans is uninsured, the highest rate in the nation," Van de Putte said. "Now people who lose their jobs through no fault of their own won't have to fear losing their health insurance. Hardworking Americans will not be forced into bankruptcy due to medical catastrophe. And every American family will have the reality of a family doctor at an affordable cost.

"As a legislator, I'm know that more people will have access to preventative health care, and that taxpayers will be paying for fewer expensive emergency room visits.
"President Obama's health care law is a prescription for our future. Now Texas needs to fill that prescription."

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State Rep Marc Veasey:

"Today's decision is a victory for all Americans and I'm excited about the prospect of joining the fight in Congress to continue this work. America is now closer than ever to the day when no one need worry about the catastrophic consequences that can result from getting sick without insurance. However, there is much work to be done and, if elected, I will be proud to join our President in completing that work."