Staff report
Recently elected Republican and Democratic nominees for the 7th Congressional District — Gloria Tinubu and Tom Rice — were among those locally who offered their reactions to Thursday’s Supreme Court decision upholding President Obama’s health care law. Each won their party’s nomination in Tuesday’s runoffs:
• “Instead of mandating coverage for millions of Americans, I favor repealing Obamacare and replacing it with sensible, smart reform. I support a patient-centered health care system and strongly disagree with the government telling patients how they will be treated.” – Tom Rice, Republican nominee for the 7th Congressional District seat.
• “This is a big victory for health care reform. The decision continues our efforts to cut taxes for small businesses that provide coverage to their employees. It upholds protections for South Carolina families that allow children with pre-existing conditions to get health care, lower prescription drug prices for seniors, and access to maternity care and mammograms for women….’’ – Gloria Bromell Tinubu, Democrat nominee for the 7th Congressional District seat.
Here are other local reactions:
• “The presidential election in November will be the real acid test for this act.” – Doug White, CEO of Grand Strand Regional Medical Center. White went on to say the health care act will allow around 500,000 of South Carolina’s current 760,000 uninsured residents to have health insurance by 2014.
• “This court seems very committed to letting other branches of government do their job.” – Thornton Kirby, president of the S.C. Hospital Association
• “Today’s decision legitimizes a concept that runs counter to the free market (enterprise) our country was founded upon.” – Brad Dean, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.
• “Today marks an extraordinary day for American small businesses. The positive measures under the Affordable Care Act that began in 2010 will continue to benefit our small businesses, the engine of America’s economy.” – Frank Knapp Jr., president and CEO of S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce.
• “The Supreme Court may have failed to stop this government takeover of health care, but the American people will not.” – U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.
• “The problem for the American people is this is a massive tax increase at a time they can least afford it and Obamacare will jeopardize the quality and accessibility of health care.” – U.S. Sen Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
• “The president said all along the individual mandate was not a tax, but it has been shown today as even more of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. We already found $500 billion in new taxes as part of Obamacare, and now that is multiplied even further. Simply put, the American people have been misled as to what the individual mandate was, and today the veil has been lifted – it is a tax on hardworking, blue collar American families.’’ – Rep. Tim Scott, R-S.C.
via Press | South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce.