DALLAS, TX: Dr. Merrill Matthews, health policy expert and resident scholar of the Dallas-based Institute for Policy Innovation, as well as Forbes columnist, said the following regarding today’s historic Supreme Court decision regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
"The Court has upheld most of the Affordable Care Act, including the individual mandate as constitutional under Congress’ taxing powers,” said Matthews.
“President Obama could always have stepped in to say the law is a tax but that would have been politically unpalatable,” he said. “If it is a tax, it becomes the largest tax increase in history. “
“It’s as if Chief Justice John Roberts went out of his way to hand President Obama a victory,” said Matthews. "He has let Democrats deny it's a tax to pass it and claim it's a tax afterward to be constitutional--the best of all political worlds."
“The Supreme Court has upheld Obamacare. Now let’s see if the public also upholds it come November,” said Matthews.
“This election year, every Republican is running on ‘repeal and replace,’ and this ruling only energizes voters to go to the polls against this decision.”
The Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) is an independent, nonprofit public policy organization based in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Merrill Matthews, resident scholar and health care expert, is available for interview by contacting Erin Humiston at (972) 874-5139, or erin@ipi.org.
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