Text of President Obama's remarks on health care ruling

Text of President Obama's remarks on health care ruling

Text of President Barack Obama's remarks about the Supreme Court ruling Thursday on subsidies in the health care law:

Five years ago, after nearly a century of talk, decades of trying, a year of bipartisan debate, we finally declared that in America, health care is not a privilege for a few, but a right for all.

[...] today, after more than 50 votes in Congress to repeal or weaken this law, after a presidential election based in part on preserving or repealing this law, after multiple challenges to this law before the Supreme Court — the Affordable Care Act is here to stay.

If you're a parent, you can keep your kids on your plan until they turn 26 — something that has covered millions of young people so far.

Because of this law and because of today's decision, millions of Americans who I hear from every single day will continue to receive the tax credits that have given about 8 in 10 people who buy insurance on the new marketplaces the choice of a health care plan that costs less than $100 a month.

[...] when it comes to pre-existing conditions — someday, our grandkids will ask us if there was really a time when America discriminated against people who get sick.

Because that is something this law has ended for good.

By one leading measure, what business owners pay out in wages and salaries is now finally growing faster than what they spend on health insurance.

For all the misinformation campaigns, all the doomsday predictions, all the talk of death panels and job destruction, for all the repeal attempts, this law is now helping tens of millions of Americans.

[...] that's by design, for this has never been a government takeover of health care, despite cries to the contrary.

Two generations ago, we chose to end an age when Americans in their golden years didn't have the guarantee of health care.

To close the books on a history where tens of millions of Americans had no hope of finding decent, affordable health care, had to hang their chances on fate.

We chose to write a new chapter, where in a new economy, Americans are free to change their jobs or start a business, chase a new idea, raise a family, free from fear, secure in the knowledge that portable, affordable health care is there for us and always will be.