Representative Lipinski: Supreme Court Decision Doesn't Change Opposition to Obamacare

 (D-IL-3) of Western Springs released a statement Thursday on the U.S. Supreme Court’s :  

“More than two years have passed since I voted against the health care law because it is unaffordable, cuts Medicare, does not do enough to lower the soaring cost of health care, and would allow federal funding for abortion,” Lipinski said. “The details about the law that have emerged in the meantime have only added to my concerns, and I have continued to work to fix the many problems with it. The Supreme Court’s decision does not change my opposition to the law or my dedication to changing the law. As I said at the time of my vote, there can be no doubt that our health care system is in serious need of reform. Today, that remains the case. The soaring cost of health care is a very serious problem, and is among the biggest contributors to the budget deficits our nation faces. Amid the partisan reactions to this news, we should remember the real problems with our health care system and the need to address them in a sensible and fiscally sustainable manner. The court’s decision may divide us, but the need for high-quality, affordable medical care unites us all.”

- Provided to Patch by Congressman Daniel Lipinski of Illinois 3rd Congressional District.

Lipinski was the only House Democrat from Illinois to vote against the act in 2010. His vote hinged on the cost of the act and a provision that allowed for the funding of abortions, according to an article published in the Chicago Tribune in March 2010.

Last year, Lipinski was re-elected by voters for a fourth term serving the 3rd District. In response to a Tribune election questionnaire, Lipinski said the Affordable Care Act included many provisions he supported, but he could not vote for an act that, in sum, he called "deeply flawed."

At the time of his re-election campaign in fall 2011, Lipinski said he did not favor repealing the act without making major changes to the county's health care system. At the time, Lipinski told the Tribune he felt it would leave the country back where we began, "with a system in dire need of improvement and little chance of action in a gridlocked Congress."