The Obama administration had argued that opponents of the ACA were misrepresenting the legislature's intent and quibbling over the definition of the word "state." In his majority opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts agreed."The combination of no tax credits and an ineffective coverage requirement could well push a State's individual insurance market into a death spiral," he wrote. "It is implausible that Congress meant the Act to operate in this manner."Roberts argued that upholding the law aligned with the legislature's initial intent.'Congress passed the Affordable Care Act to improve health insurance markets, not to destroy them.'
In a strongly worded dissent, Justice Scalia suggested that the Supreme Court was overstepping its bound and writing its own laws."Normal rules of interpretation seem always to yield to the overriding principle of the present Court: The Affordable Care Act must be saved," he wrote."We should start calling the law SCOTUScare.""Today's interpretation is not merely unnatural; it is unheard of," Scalia added. "Who would ever have dreamt that 'Exchange established by the State' means 'Exchange established by the State or the Federal Government'?Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas joined Scalia in his dissent.Politicians were quick to respond to the landmark decision on social media Thursday morning.'We should start calling the law SCOTUScare.'
Yes! SCOTUS affirms what we know is true in our hearts & under the law: Health insurance should be affordable & available to all. -H
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton)June 25, 2015
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.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio)June 25, 2015
Obamacare is the law of the nation. Republicans should stop wasting the time of the American people by trying to repeal it. Let's move on.
— Senator Harry Reid (@SenatorReid)June 25, 2015
Americans deserve better than what we're getting with Obamacare. It's time we repealed and replaced it! — Rick Perry (@GovernorPerry)June 25, 2015