Here's what local politicians and others are saying about the ruling Thursday by the Supreme Court on the Affordable Health Care Act:

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Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber issued the following statement in reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act:
 
"I am pleased that the Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act, which will help all Oregonians, including the 600,000 Oregonians who are uninsured, have better access to health coverage. It's a vindication of the Obama Administration's bold approach. Oregon’s health transformation initiative is well underway. We’re moving forward with Coordinated Care Organizations that will transform Medicaid for better health and lower cost. And the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange will be a central marketplace where individuals and small businesses can shop for health plans and receive help paying for coverage."

Audio message available here.
Video message available here.
 

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Statement from Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D):

“Today the Supreme Court rightly upheld the Affordable Care Act. Since 2010, the ACA has provided Americans with better health care coverage and lower costs. Thanks to the law, 17 million children across the country with preexisting conditions are no longer denied coverage, and 6.6 million young adults have been able to stay on their parents' insurance plans until they turn 26 years old. In Oregon, more than one million people have received low-cost preventive care. These critical checkups diagnose illnesses early, keep Oregonians healthy, and ultimately make our health care system more efficient. In just two years millions of Americans have already seen tangible positive impacts from the legislation. The people of Oregon and across the country will benefit because the Supreme Court upheld these needed reforms to our health care system.”

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This was posted on Rep. Greg Walden's (R) Facebook page:

Speaker Pelosi said Congress had to pass the healthcare bill so Americans could find out what’s in it. Now we know: a massive tax increase on middle class families and small businesses.

He later issued this longer statement and also issued a video statement

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision today, U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) said that the health care law is still a bad bet for Oregon and that it must be repealed before it does more damage to the economy, families, and seniors. 

“Speaker Pelosi said Congress had to pass the bill so Americans could find out what’s in it. Now we know: a massive tax increase on middle class families and small businesses,” Rep. Walden said.

“The President’s health care law is the wrong prescription for Oregon seniors, families, and small businesses. It’s hurting our economy by making it more costly for small businesses to hire new workers. It takes half a trillion dollars from Medicare, which will only make it more difficult for seniors—especially in rural areas—to get access to medical care. And it empowers a board of fifteen unelected bureaucrats to decide what health care individuals will get. That decision should be between patients and doctors, not unelected bureaucrats in Washington,” Rep. Walden said. “It’s your life. It’s your health. You should have the right to choose your doctor and hospital and make your own decisions about what’s best for you and your family.”

“I look forward to voting on July 11 to fully repeal this unworkable law, as a clear majority of Americans favor. Oregonians deserve a patient-centered health care system that allows them to access the care they need from the doctor and hospital they choose at the lowest possible cost,” Rep. Walden said.

Since the law was passed, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has said that the policies in it will reduce the labor supply by 800,000.  A recent small business survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce finds nearly three quarters of small businesses surveyed cite the health care law as an obstacle to growing their business and creating jobs.
 
“As a small business owner since 1986 who always provided health coverage for my employees, I know that the cost of health insurance puts a real strain on small businesses, and this law is driving up costs,” Rep. Walden said. “As I go around Oregon, the biggest concern small businesses have is the rising cost of their health insurance. Unfortunately, this law will only drive up their costs further.”

The law doesn't just harm small businesses—seniors are hit hard too. Oregon has one of the highest Medicare Advantage penetration rates in the country. Over 268,000 seniors in Oregon have chosen Medicare Advantage as the plan that best meets their needs. Yet the law cuts $206 billion from Medicare Advantage and over $500 billion from the entire Medicare program, meaning higher premiums and reduced benefits for Oregon seniors.

CBO has found that 20 million people could lose their employer-sponsored health insurance by 2019, and consulting firm McKinsey & Co. found that 30 percent of employers say they “definitely” plan to drop coverage.

Finally, the Obama Administration’s own Medicare actuary found that the law will add at least $340 billion to the deficit. In March, CBO’s cost estimate of the law doubled from its original estimate to $1.76 trillion over ten years.

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Statement from Sen. Ron Wyden (D):

“The Supreme Court affirmed today that health insurance is not just for the healthy and wealthy and that denying coverage to those who need it most has no place in the United States.  I think it is unfortunate that instead of looking for ways to better guarantee health care for their citizens, some states have focused only on repealing a law that would have guaranteed additional care.  I authored Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act to give states who think they can do better than the federal government the ability to innovate their own state-based health solutions and even opt out of the federal individual mandate.  It is my hope that moving forward we can trade litigation for innovation and come together around the idea that every American should have quality, affordable health care.”

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Here's a tweet about the ruling from Sen. Jeff Merkley (D): 

Today's decision creates a clear path forward. We must now focus on how to best deliver affordable, high-quality care for every American.

He later sent out this statement:

“Today’s decision creates a clear path forward. We must now focus on how to best deliver affordable, high-quality health care for every American.

“In 2009, Congress set out to fix our broken health care system because the status quo was unacceptable.  We took on this problem because America could not afford a health system that rationed care depending on wealth, gave insurance company bureaucrats final say over life and death decisions, and weighed down our economic competitiveness like an anchor.

“After a year of debate, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was passed by both Houses of Congress and signed by the President. This bill, while imperfect, made five major improvements to our current health care system.

• Preventive Care – The bill greatly expanded access to preventive care, adding 15 million people that previously did not have health insurance to Medicaid, ending the “donut hole” that left many seniors unable to afford medications, and providing grants to build or expand health care clinics across the country.
• Workforce – To meet the needs of the newly insured, as well as to replace the retiring baby boomers in crucial medical fields, such as primary care and nursing, the bill expanded training programs for health professionals.
• Marketplaces – The bill created one-stop shops so families and small businesses can compare plans and prices to find the best heath care fit for themselves and join together to get better deals.
• Small Business – The bill sent checks to small businesses to make it more affordable to offer health insurance for their workers.
• Health Care Bill of Rights – The bill ensured that as a health care consumer, you had certain rights – that no insurance company can deny you coverage because of a pre-existing condition, that kids up to age 26 are able to stay on their parents’ insurance policies, that women won’t be charged more than men, that policies won’t cut you off with arbitrary lifetime limits, and that insurance companies can’t kick you off your policy when you get sick!

"As a result of today’s decision, we have the chance to deliver these important advances for America’s families and business and to implement a vision of affordable, accessible health care for all Americans. No one should go bankrupt if they get sick. Everyone should have access to preventive care in order to live healthy, productive lives.  I look forward to working with Governor Kitzhaber and other Oregon policymakers to put in place these important reforms for all Oregonians."

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A statement from Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader (D):

"Regardless of how you feel about the Affordable Care Act, it includes cost containment provisions that protect consumers and drive down health care costs over the long term for everyone. The repeal of the health care law would have resulted in the immediate skyrocketing of health insurance premiums of which few Oregonians can afford. With this decision, Oregon will now no longer have to go through with these reforms alone in providing affordable health care for all Americans."

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Washington Senator Patty Murray (D) released the following statement after the ruling:

“This is a victory for the health care security and stability of Washington families. Today’s ruling means that families and small business owners will continue to benefit from better access, more choices, and a health care system that no longer works only for those who can afford it. It means that health care decisions will be in the hands of patients and their doctors, and that insurance companies will be forced to compete for the business of Washington state families.

“It is also welcome news for all those across our state who are already benefiting from this law.  It means that over 62,000 young adults in Washington will be allowed to keep their health coverage, that tens of thousands of Washington seniors will continue to receive checks for Medicare support, that hundreds of thousands of patients will continue to access free preventative services like mammograms and colonoscopies, and that millions of policy holders will continue to see the value of their premium dollar improve.

“This decision offers a chance for those on all sides in this long and impassioned debate to begin the process of moving forward. It is time for us to come together to find common ground. As this bill continues to be implemented, there is no reason why we can’t all work together to fix what’s not working and take advantage of what is.

“This law is the product of the stories and struggles of millions of Americans, including countless Washington state families that shared their stories with me. Over the last three years I have heard from young people who couldn’t find affordable coverage, seniors facing the Medicare donut hole, and everyday Washingtonians who were suddenly faced with catastrophic illnesses. 

“Today, with this ruling, my hope is that they have been provided peace of mind knowing that the change they fought for has not been defeated.”

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Statement from Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D):

"The Court's decision should help put to rest this unnecessary and divisive political battle. 

"By removing a cloud of uncertainty, we all should be able to get to work on implementation. The ACA will continue to protect Oregonians and Americans from financial ruin because of health care costs, insure more young adults, help people with preexisting conditions, expand Medicaid, and protect Medicare for future generations. Oregon can continue to be an innovator, improve the way we practice medicine, help make healthier families, and will make good on the federal government's $1.9 billion bet that Oregon can make health care better."

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Statement from Sen. Maria Cantwell (D):

"This is an important step in upholding a law that will help drive down the cost of health care and increase access to those who don't have coverage. Many important provisions will help reward the state of Washington for its cost-effective, outcome-based delivery system.

“It means people can’t be denied insurance for preexisting conditions. It means small businesses will get tax breaks for providing health insurance. It means cheaper prescription drugs for seniors and it means young adults will be able to stay on their parents health insurance. It ends unfair penalties on Washington providers who deliver quality health care at a lower cost than other regions around America and it ensures Washington state's Basic Health Plan will continue to serve as a national model for expanding access to care using bulk purchasing power. And it helps to build Washington state’s future health care workforce.
                                                          
"Following today's decision, I will continue to strongly advocate for the principles of increasing access to quality health care, controlling health care costs, and improving the efficiency of our medical delivery system. As a member of the Small Business Committee, I will continue to work with Washington state small businesses to reduce the costs of health care and support small business job growth.
 
“Moving forward, Congress needs to work in a bipartisan manner to provide greater economic certainty, support job creation and bolster the middle class.”
 

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Statement from Oregon Center for Public Policy:

The Supreme Court decision is a victory for all Oregonians. Oregon can continue to move forward with confidence with its plans to reach 440,000 uninsured Oregonians mainly through the Oregon Health Plan and a new health insurance exchange for individuals and small businesses.

The Affordable Care Act is a promise to Americans and Oregonians that we're all in this together. After today's ruling, we remain together.

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 Statement from Bruce Goldberg, M.D., Oregon Health Authority director

"The Supreme Court ruling today upholding the Affordable Care Act is very good news for the 600,000 Oregonians who do not have health care coverage.

"Health care had become out of reach for too many people. It has been particularly difficult for low-income Oregonians to qualify for the Oregon Health Plan. We have a limited number of openings and we draw names to fill them. It's like a health care lottery.

"Today's decision will make it possible for an estimated 180,000 to 200,000 more people to qualify for the Oregon Health Plan in 2014. Hundreds of thousands more people will have access to the health insurance exchange.

"Under the Affordable Care Act, the health care lottery for low-income Oregonians goes away and everyone wins.

"That is good for them, good for their families, and good for the Oregon. They will have better health care and more financial security. 

"Key to making it work is making health care more affordable. In Oregon we have already started remaking our health care system to be more efficient, effective and patient-centered. Eight new Coordinated Care Organizations will begin serving Oregon Health Plan clients on August 1 and more will be starting throughout the year. Our local communities are coming together in unprecedented ways to improve care.

"We truly are on a path, both locally and nationally, to make our health care system something that brings better health and better care at a more affordable cost."