Washington, DC -- Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) welcomed the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit 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 Republican President Ronald Reagan and former Democratic President Jimmy Carter, proving that the legality of the mandate transcends party lines.  The opinion was actually written by the Reagan appointee – Hon. Laurence Silberman – the first time such an opinion was written by a conservative judge.  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 fixated their attention in 2011 on repealing the Affordable Care Act, putting insurance companies back in charge of health care, and leaving millions of Americans without coverage.  They desire a return to a system which was on its way to bankrupting our country, while simultaneously they talk about fiscal responsibility.  They have pursued this instead of a much-needed focus on job creation.  Billions of dollars have been spent by special interests to misinform the public and poison the well against supporting this law.  I applaud the court 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.”

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