Bill Howell on healthcare ruling: Law ‘deeply flawed’

Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Bill Howell (R-Stafford) issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision in King v. Burwell.

“The Affordable Care Act remains deeply flawed and today’s Supreme Court decision does not change that. Virginia families and businesses have seen firsthand the impacts of Obamacare: fewer hours for part-time workers, cancelled plans, skyrocketing premiums and higher out-of-pocket costs. The Court’s decision today provides no prescription for these ills.

“This decision does not have to be a lost opportunity. Congress can and should still act to replace this broken law with real health reform that puts patients and doctors back in charge, lowers costs and gives states more flexibility to care for our most vulnerable citizens without expanding entitlements. Unfortunately, I am not optimistic this will happen.

“Moving forward, Republicans in the House of Delegates remain committed to protecting Virginians from the side-effects of Obamacare by doing everything we can to keep costs under control and provide flexibility to families and businesses. We also remain committed to strengthening our health care safety net without expanding our broken Medicaid system.”