Washington, DC -- Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) welcomed the decision by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals today that the Affordable Care Act’s mandating individual coverage is constitutional.  Two of the three judges who ruled in favor of the landmark legislation were appointed by former Democratic President Jimmy Carter and former Republican President George W. Bush, proving that the legality of the mandate transcends party lines.  Rep. Engel is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health, and was a strong supporter of the Affordable Care Act.

“The Republican House Majority has held what seems like 1,000 hearings and votes in 2011 designed to repeal the Affordable Care Act, put insurance companies back in charge of health care, and leave millions of Americans without coverage.  They have wanted to return to a system which was on its way to bankrupting our country, while simultaneously talking about fiscal responsibility.  Billions of dollars have been spent by special interests to misinform the public and poison the well against supporting this law.  I applaud the Sixth Circuit for doing what the Judicial branch should do – follow the law of the land, regardless of party affiliation.

“I call on the other courts which are poised to rule on this same topic, and any other courts that will one day have the case presented to them, to do the same.  I also call on my Republican colleagues to stop their crusade against this law, and work with Democrats to enact legislation which will help put people back to work.”

###