Gov. Gregoire: Supreme Court ruling a historic decision

Gov. Chris Gregoire today issued the following statement
on the Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold the Affordable
Care Act:

“I applaud today’s Supreme Court decision. Since the
Affordable Care Act was signed by the President, we have
worked tirelessly to implement it in our state, with my
firm belief that it was constitutional and would
ultimately withstand legal challenge. I’m extremely
pleased that the majority of the Court agreed on the
merits of the law highlighted in the briefs that I and
others submitted on its behalf.

“The real winners today, however, are the millions of
Americans and Washingtonians who have and will now
continue to benefit from this Act. Among them are more
than 50,000 young adults in our state who have gained
insurance coverage through their parents’ plan, our more
than 60,000 seniors who’ve annually received assistance to
purchase needed prescription drugs, and the millions here
that are no longer subject to unfair practices by
insurance companies. And with this cloud of legal
uncertainty removed, I look forward to the day not long
from now when more than 800,000 people in our state will
be able to use our Health Benefit Exchange to get the
health insurance that they need but currently must go
without.

“This is a historic decision that will allow Washington to
continue as a leader in providing access to quality,
affordable health care to its residents. I am excited for
what this means, and thank and congratulate the President
and all those responsible for their foresight and
perseverance in getting us to this day.”