POLL: U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Obama Healthcare Plan

Update, 11:40 a.m.

Former 4th District representative Chris Shays, a Republican currently campaigning to replace Joe Lieberman in the U.S. Senate, wants to see Obamacare repealed, according to his campaign's website

"Now more than ever we need experienced leaders who can navigate the process so that we can repeal the Presidents so-called "Affordable Healthcare Act."

The federal government does have a role in healthcare, such as Medicare, Medicaid, community-based healthcare programs, and providing healthcare to veterans, and active military. But a federal mandate was always the wrong approach.  We need a patient/doctor approach that promotes both quality care and cost savings and allows citizens within each state to determine the kind of healthcare programs they want.  The right direction for healthcare reform includes tort reform, healthcare pooling and purchase across state lines. 

If I'm elected to the United States Senate I am determined to repeal Obamacare, and I have the experience and knowledge to do it."

Update, 11:30 a.m.

, a Democrat who represents Connecticut's 4th District (including the town of Fairfield), had this to say on the ruling:

“With this decision in place, people and businesses across the country can move forward with the certainty that they will have access to affordable health insurance. Would be entrepreneurs can now start their own businesses without fearing they won’t be able to purchase insurance for their families and employees, and recent graduates can take jobs at a startup or a nonprofit that doesn’t provide insurance—because they will be able to purchase it themselves. You will not lose access to health care if you lose your job, women can’t be charged more than men for coverage, and kids with asthma and moms who survived cancer will be able to get health insurance. We can now move forward with the Affordable Care Act’s reforms, which will lower costs, better coordinate our health care, and provide more financial stability for families and businesses that purchase health insurance.

“Because of health care reform, for the first time in over a decade, we saw a decrease in the growth of health care costs. I look forward to seeing continued progress as the remainder of the new law goes into effect and we tweak the law to continue to slow the growth of health care spending.”

Original Story

In a landmark decision, both legally and politically, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld President Barack Obama's sweeping healthcare law, including the central mandate that individuals must buy health insurance.

According to ABCNews, the court's ruling means you have to buy health insurance or be subject to a tax.

Pundits and politicians alike are already heralding the decision as a major political boon to Obama, whose supporters were concerned that an overturn of the law, or just the individual mandate, would harm the president's re-election bid this year.

Obama's health care law, which also requires health insurers to provide coverage to children of policy holders up to 26 years old and bans insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, was challenged by several states who argued that some of its conditions, particularly the individual mandate, were unconstitutional.

Republicans also had vehemently opposed the health care law and their presumptive presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, has vowed to seek its repeal if he's elected.