Health Care: Oklahoma politicians express disappointment with Supreme Court ruling on Affordable Care Act

John Hart, spokesman for Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee: “Dr. Coburn will be reviewing the ruling and will respond with an updated plan to repeal and replace this unworkable law. The Court affirmed Congress' power to tax people if they don't eat their broccoli. Now it's up to the American people to decide whether they will tolerate this obscene abuse of individual liberty.”

Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne: “I am disappointed by the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the president's health care law. Americans have spoken loudly in opposition to this unworkable law, and it is discouraging the court has found it constitutional. Families should have the freedom to make their own health care decisions, and Obamacare takes that freedom away, while in-turn costing our nation trillions of dollars without addressing our health care problems.

“I will continue to work with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to fully repeal the law and enact reforms to our nation's health care system that protect Americans' access to health care. We need to refocus our efforts to make efficient and cost effective changes to the system, while also ensuring health care treatments are never rationed by government officials.”

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt: “We disagree with the decision on the unconstitutionality of the health care act and find it disturbing that the Court did not place a limit on the power of the federal government to control the lives of Americans through the Commerce Clause. But, the battle isn't over.

“It now is up to the political process to repeal the act and replace it with measures that address the health care crisis within the confines of the Constitution. We must continue to oppose this act and multiple overreaching regulations proposed by the Obama Administration that cross the line of federal power.”

Fred Morgan, president of the State Chamber: “We are extremely disappointed in this decision. This is exactly what we feared when we formed the Oklahomans for Free Market Health Solutions coalition last year to help support an Oklahoma-based solution to the federal exchange mandate in the ACA. We now face a situation where a health insurance exchange crafted by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. will now be forced upon Oklahomans. We cannot let this happen and must take swift action to create a private sector driven health insurance marketplace in order to avoid a federally mandated system.

“The ramifications of this decision are not yet completely known, but we believe this change will erode the quality of care Oklahomans have come to expect and ultimately increase costs for all Americans.”