Obama & Mitt Romney Response To Supreme Court Ruling (VIDEO)
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The Supreme Court ruled today that President Barack Obama's signature Affordable Care Act is constitutional, according to the Huffington Post.
President Obama held a press conference at the White House to give his response to the ruling:
"The highest court in the land has now spoken. We will continue to implement this law," he said, speaking to cameras in the East Room of the White House.
"With today's announcement it is time for us to move forward, to implement and when necessary improve on this law."
Obama's administration spent 18 months pushing health care reform through Congress.
"It should be pretty clear that I didn't do this because it's good politics," Obama said. "I did it because it's good for the country."
Five justices concluded that the mandate, which requires all Americans to obtain minimum health insurance coverage or pay a penalty, falls within Congress' power under the Constitution to "lay and collect taxes."
Chief Justice John Roberts controlled the opinion and upheld the mandate as a tax. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan joined him in this ruling.
GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney will spend the rest of the 2012 campaign season running against the Supreme Court and repeal the law.
According to the transcript obtained by the Wall Street Journal, Mitt Romney said: "As you might imagine, I disagree with the Supreme Court's decision and I agree with the dissent.
"What the court did not do on its last day in session, I will do on my first day if elected president of the United States. And that is I will act to repeal Obamacare. What the Court did not do on its last day in session, I will do on my first day if elected President of the United States. And that is I will act to repeal Obamacare."
Romney continued: "Let's make clear that we understand what the Court did and did not do. What the Court did today was say that Obamacare does not violate the Constitution. What they did not do was say that Obamacare is good law or that it's good policy."
