US top court upholds Obamacare

The US Supreme Court yesterday upheld a disputed portion of President Barack Obama's landmark health care reform, in a major legacy-building victory for his administration.

By a margin of six to three, the judges ruled in favor of allowing the federal government to subsidize health insurance by giving tax credits to consumers nationwide.

A triumphant Obama quickly hailed the ruling, calling it a win for "hard-working Americans all across this country."

"This law is working and it's going to keep doing just that," he said.

Opponents of the Affordable Care Act -- better known as "Obamacare" -- had argued that it was unconstitutional for the federal government to subsidize insurance in this way in states that refused to set up their own insurance exchanges.

The narrow question before the court was whether some seven million people who signed up for Obamacare via the government's website were actually entitled to tax subsidies that make the coverage affordable.

But the high court ruled that the law should stand, with two usually conservative justices joining the four generally liberal members of the panel to overturn the challenge.

Republicans have mounted several legislative attacks on the law in parallel to the legal assaults and this is the second time in three years that the court has saved it.

For Obama, the ruling marked a major victory that cements his signature domestic policy achievement.

Republicans reacted angrily.

"Republicans will continue to fight tooth and nail to repeal this oppressive law," declared Senator John Cornyn, the party's number two leader in the senate.