Obama Says Reform Law Is ‘Here to Stay’; Romney Criticizes Justice Roberts

On Thursday, President Obama insisted that the federal health reform law "is here to stay" and called on the overhaul's opponents to move on from the issue, The Hill's "Hill Tube" reports.

Obama made the remarks in Ohio during the first leg of a two-state re-election campaign trip in the Midwest (Cohn, "Hill Tube," The Hill, 7/5).

Obama's Remarks

In his first campaign speeches since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the overhaul, Obama noted, "I'll work with anybody who wants to work with me to continue to improve our health care system and our health care laws, but the law I passed is here to stay" (Jackson, "The Oval," USA Today, 7/5).

He also touted several of the law's popular provisions, and his campaign issued a news release listing the ways the overhaul benefits Ohio residents (Parsons/Landsberg, Los Angeles Times, 7/5).

Obama said, "We fought so hard to make that happen and now the Supreme Court has ruled it's time for us to move forward," adding, "We don't have to re-litigate the last two years. I don't want us to keep having political arguments that are based on politics and not on facts" ("Hill Tube," The Hill, 7/5).

He also urged voters to ignore the negative advertisements about the health reform law that "are raining down on your head" and suggested that they "Tivo everything" so they could fast-forward through the ads (Parsons, "Politics Now," Los Angeles Times, 7/5).

Romney Slams Chief Justice Roberts for Reported Vote Switch

Meanwhile, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney criticized Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts for his decision to vote with the court's liberal justices to uphold the overhaul, the New York Times' "The Caucus" reports.

In a new segment that aired Thursday from his recent interview with CBS News, Romney said recent reports suggesting that Roberts switched his vote "gives the impression that the decision was made not based upon constitutional foundation, but instead political consideration about the relationship between the branches of government" (Barbaro, "The Caucus," New York Times, 7/5).