Obama, Congressional Dems claim 'victory for America' in court's health law decision

In a statement after the verdict, President Barack Obama said it was time to stop fighing over the law and "move forward."

Politico: Obama Wins Big In Supreme Court Health Care Ruling
Obama quickly declared victory, praising the ruling in a statement from the White House. "Whatever the politics, today's decision was a victory for people all over this country whose laws will be more secure because of this law and the Supreme Court's decision to uphold it," he said. The force of the ruling is breathtaking in political terms. It gives Obama the Supreme Court's credibility in arguing that his law was not a massive, unconstitutional overreach. Republican Mitt Romney gets to ride the Tea Party backlash as he promises to tear down the law if he is elected" (Allen and Haberkorn, 6/28).

Reuters: Obama Calls Supreme Court Healthcare Decision A Victory
U.S. President Barack Obama pledged on Thursday to implement and improve his signature healthcare law after the Supreme Court upheld it, a decision the president described as a victory for Americans that should put to rest the fight over reform. ... "What we won't do - what the country can't afford to do - is re-fight the political battles of two years ago or go back to the way things were. With today's announcement, it's time for us to move forward" (Mason, Bull and MacInnis, 6/28).

CNN: Obama: Supreme Court Ruling On Health Care A Victory For All Americans
An administration official described the White House reaction as elation, while GOP opponents criticized the high court's reasoning and promised an immediate repeal effort. ... Obama used the focus on the issue to spell out the benefits of the law that remains unpopular with many Americans. The principle upheld by the high court's ruling is that no American should go bankrupt because of illness, the president said (Mears and Cohen,6/28).

The Hill: Pelosi: Ruling Is 'Victory' For Americans
"With this ruling, Americans will benefit from critical patient protections, lower costs for the middle class, more coverage for families, and greater accountability for the insurance industry," Pelosi said in a statement. The liberal Democrat had for months predicted the high court would rule 6-3 in favor of the law, calling the Affordable Care Act "ironclad" and constitutional. She was off by one vote (Lillis, 6/28).

Los Angeles Times: Dems 'Ecstatic,' GOP Vows Fight As Court Upholds Healthcare Law
"Passing the Affordable Care Act was the greatest single step in generations toward ensuring access to affordable, quality healthcare for every person in America, regardless of where they live, how much money they make," Reid said. "I'm happy and I'm pleased the Supreme Court put the rule of law ahead of partisanship" (Mascaro and Simon, 6/28).