Relief, anger at Supreme Court's health care decision

WASHINGTON (WWLP) - Thousands of protesters and members of the media are gathered outside the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. following the high court’s ruling on President Obama’s health care law .

In a 5-4 decision, with normally conservative Chief Justice John Roberts casting the deciding vote to uphold the law, the court held that the controversial provision that requires all Americans to buy healthcare is constitutional.

While the court has ruled, the debate is not going away anytime soon. Many of the people outside the court are conservatives, who vow to continue their fight at the ballot box. GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney promises to repeal the law opponents call “Obamacare” once elected.

Springfield Democratic Congressman Richard Neal is praising the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the law, which he says he worked closely with the administration to craft.

“I can tell you we are on the right path to universal health care for all Americans,” Neal said in a statement sent to 22News Thursday morning, shortly after the decision.

“The Supreme Court correctly understood in order to achieve universal health care, everyone needs to buy in.”

The only Republican in the state's congressional delegation, U.S. Senator Scott Brown, was elected in 2010 campaigning on his opposition to the law. In a statement sent to 22News, he said that the ruling will make things harder for small businesses.

"The federal health care law may be constitutional, but it is wrong for jobs and the economy," Brown said.

"All we got out of this massive new federal entitlement is higher taxes, cuts in Medicare and additional debt at a time when we can least afford it."