You’ve probably heard already that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld most of of President Obama’s health-care law (here’s what it means for our state). The first West Seattle politician to comment is King County Executive Dow Constantine – his statement, ahead (10:25 AM UPDATE – we also have heard from West Seattle’s State Rep. Eileen Cody and County Councilmember Joe McDermott, and are adding their statements after Constantine’s):
“I celebrate the Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold the Affordable Care Act. A stable, healthier future has been made possible by this ruling. This is affirmation of our nationwide bold move toward achieving quality affordable health care, and we are moving in the right direction. And for the nearly quarter of a million people in King County who do not have health insurance this is truly a welcome life-and-death decision.
I would like to extend my thanks to the members of our Washington State congressional delegation who championed the Affordable Care Act. They should be proud of their work on this historic legislation.
Even as today’s ruling upholds the Affordable Care Act, we are not going to rest on our laurels and turn away from efforts to reach those in need; we will continue to make the healthcare system more efficient. We owe it to our residents to keep searching for solutions to the healthcare issues that affect both their money and their health.”
Side note: When we covered Congressmember Jim McDermott’s Q/A appearance in White Center last month, he predicted the health-care law would be upheld, seeing Chief Justice Roberts as the swing vote – which he was today.
ADDED 10:21 AM: From Rep. Eileen Cody, the West Seattleite who chairs the state House Health Care and Wellness Committee:
“This is a good decision that means Washington state – and America – can keep moving forward on health reform.
“The best part about this is now we can focus on lowering the cost of health care instead of backing up and trying to cover all people. This will help cover the uninsured, which is where we had to work so hard in the past. Now we can put a lot more energy into lowering costs.
“The people of Washington state have already benefitted greatly from the Affordable Care Act, with smaller copayments for preventive health screenings and prescriptions, the ability to keep young people on their parents’ insurance plans, and millions in federal dollars for public health services.
“Even today, there are almost one million people in Washington with no health insurance. That’s a problem that costs ALL of us: taxpayers, businesses, and families who do have coverage.
“Making sure more people and more businesses can afford health coverage is the smart thing to do – and it’s the right thing to do.”
10:25 AM UPDATE: We’ve also heard from County Councilmember Joe McDermott of West Seattle, chair of the county Board of Health:
“I’m relieved that the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act and that the political pandering of many state attorneys general from across the Country proved futile.
“No complex law is perfect, but the Affordable Care Act is a significant step toward a more perfect union. The law is vital as we work to provide more affordable health care for all Americans.
“I urge Congress to protect the law’s Prevention & Public Health Fund to support our efforts in driving down the costs of health care.
“Today’s ruling clears the way for nearly a quarter of a million people in King County who do not have health insurance to finally have affordable options in 2014.
“I look forward to continued work in monitoring and supporting the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.”
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