US Supreme Court upholds Obama healthcare law | Connect Asia

Many conservatives opposed the plan but the judges upheld the legislation, five votes to four.

Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has promised to scrap the law if he gets into office.

Hundreds of protestors were outside the Supreme Court in Washington as the decision was handed down.

Correspondent: Brendan Trembath

Speakers: Susan Clarke, protestor; Jennifer Ng'andu, supporter; Barack Obama, US President; Mitt Romney, Republican presidential candidate; Emily Schlichting, supporter

(Sound of drumming and music)

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Outside the Supreme Court hundreds of people were waiting - from belly dancers to a bell ringer.

(Sound of a bell ringing)

SUSAN CLARKE: Freedom from tyranny!

BRENDAN TREMBATH: The bell ringer - Susan Clarke from Santa Monica, California - hoped the Court would reject president Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act.

SUSAN CLARKE: When the government runs anything it is quite expensive.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Jennifer Ng'andu was quite happy with the Affordable Care Act. She works in Washington for the largest Hispanic civil rights group in the country.

JENNIFER NG'ANDU: The reason why we're all out here melting in this heat is to support the Affordable Care Act.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: The justices voted five to four to uphold the Affordable Care Act.

The US president Barack Obama responded from the White House.

BARACK OBAMA: In doing so they've reaffirmed a fundamental principle - that here in America, in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no illness or accident should lead to any family's financial ruin whatever the politics.

Today's decision was a victory for people all over this country whose lives will be more secure because of this law and the Supreme Court's decision to uphold it.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: The Chief Justice, John Roberts, said the Act's requirement that certain individual pay a financial penalty for not obtaining health insurance may reasonably be characterised as a tax.

And he said because such a tax was permitted by the Constitution it was not the court's role to forbid it or consider its wisdom or fairness.

The Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney was not pleased.

MITT ROMNEY: What the court did not do on its last day in session I will do on my first day if elected president of the United States, and that is I will act to repeal Obamacare.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: But supporters of health care reform in the US won't be discouraged.

PROTESTORS: Hands off my Obama care! Hands off my Obama care!

BRENDAN TREMBATH: In the crowd outside the court was Emily Schlichting from Omaha, Nebraska. When she was 17 she became ill and was later diagnosed with a rare auto-immune condition called Behçets Disease.

EMILY SCHLICHTING: For me the Affordable Care Act has been the difference between constantly worrying about a) If I'm going to have healthcare period and b) If I have that healthcare or if I ever go uncovered, will I be able to get care again.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: She's now 22.

The Affordable Care Act allows young adults to be added to their parents' policies until they're 26.

The US government says otherwise millions of young Americans would go uninsured.