Serrano lauds ruling on health care

“Today’s ruling is a relief and validation that our work to extend health care to all Americans was indeed properly carried out. As I said when we passed this law, now our children, the sick, the unfortunate, and the destitute will have a path to decent, affordable health care coverage,” said Serrano, a Bronx Democrat and Mayagüez native. “Our nation will be more economically stable and more compassionate towards those suffering. No longer will people have to fear that a medical calamity will also wipe out all their savings or cause them to lose a house.”

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the vast majority of Obama’s historic health care overhaul, including the hotly debated core requirement that virtually all Americans have health insurance.

The 5-4 decision means the huge overhaul, still taking effect, will proceed and pick up momentum over the next several years, affecting the way that countless Americans receive and pay for their personal medical care.

“We have seen that our system has worked—Congress passed a law, people felt that it might be unconstitutional, the lower courts were split, and the Supreme Court settled the question. Our system of government has yet again proven itself able to rise above partisanship,” Serrano said.

“I urge my Republican colleagues to now work with us to improve this law, and to stop their efforts to repeal it. It is time to admit that this law, much of which is based on Republican ideas, is valid and proper, and above all, necessary. The time has come for them to work together with us to solve problems rather than to continue a partisan quest to undo President Obama’s key achievements,” the New York lawmaker said.

“Our nation is strongest when we work together and look out for one another. This was the premise of the Affordable Care Act. With today’s ruling, I believe our nation will be stronger both in terms of the health and well-being of our citizens, and also people’s faith in our system of government. Today we have seen a full and complete victory for the American people.”