While Democrats are praising the Supreme Court's decision Thursday to uphold President Barack Obama's sweeping health care legislation, Republicans are on the attack.

DEMOCRATS

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi: "This decision is a victory for the American people. With this ruling, Americans will benefit from critical patient protections, lower costs for the middle class, more coverage for families, and greater accountability for the insurance industry.

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"In passing health reform, we made history for our nation and progress for the American people. We completed the unfinished business of our society and strengthened the character of our country. We ensured health care would be a right for all, not a privilege for the few.

"Today, the Supreme Court affirmed our progress and protected that right, securing a future of health and economic security for the middle class and for every American."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid: "I'm happy, I'm pleased to see the Supreme Court put the rule of law ahead of partisanship and ruled that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional.

"No longer will Americans live in fear of losing their health insurance because they lose a job. No longer will tens of millions of Americans rely on emergency room care or go without care entirely because they have no insurance at all. Soon, virtually every man, woman and child in America will have access to health insurance they can afford and the vital care they need.

"Passing the Affordable Care Act was the greatest single step in generations towards ensuring access to affordable, quality healthcare for every person in America, regardless of where they live or how much money they make."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: "You know, I haven't had the chance to read the decision. I literally just heard as we landed that the Supreme Court has upheld the health care law. Obviously I want to get into the details, but I'm very pleased. That's how I hoped it would turn out. I think its a great moment to just think about what this will mean for the millions and millions of Americans who have already benefited from the Affordable Care Act and so many more who will continue to do so. There will be a lot of work to do to get it implemented and understand what the opinion says, but obviously I was quite excited to hear the results."

MoveOn, a Democratic group: "Today, justice was upheld. But the fact that the Affordable Care Act was ever in jeopardy shows how politicized this court has become. All too often, this 1% Court has legislated from the bench on behalf of corporations and the wealthy instead of acting as fair arbiters of the law.

The next president will nominate as many as three new justices, setting the court's direction for a generation. There's every reason to believe Mitt Romney would try to put more 1% justices on the court. MoveOn will dedicate our energy and resources to reelecting President Obama to ensure more fair-minded justices are seated on the court."

U.S. Senate Candidate Tim Kaine of Virginia: "The Affordable Care Act is an important first step in curbing discriminatory insurance company practices and increasing access to health care, but more needs to be done to bring down costs. Our government, businesses, and citizens cannot continue to spend more than any other nation on health care while getting second-rate results. As Senator, I am committed to working with all stakeholders to find additional improvements to the Affordable Care Act that give all Americans affordable access to high quality services.

Democratic National Committee Executive Director Patrick Gaspard (via Twitter): "it's constitutional. B-----s."

Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona: "Today the Supreme Court affirmed that Romneyare is constitutional."

House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, (D-Mich.): "Today is a historic day. The Affordable Care Act can now takes its rightful place among this nation's other critical efforts to ensure that the basic human needs of all Americans are met. Just as our Social Security and Medicaid systems provide a critical safety net to older Americans, the Affordable Care Act will help make health care more affordable and accessible for all.

House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson: "The Supreme Court decision today is a great victory for children with pre-existing conditions, for women who have been unfairly discriminated against, and the start to providing a solid groundwork for ensuring that all Americans can get the care they need."

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel: "This is a historic day, made possible by tremendous courage shown by President Obama. Because of the president's courage, kids coming home from college will have access to their parents' healthcare. Because of his courage, seniors will have help accessing affordable prescription drugs. Because of his courage, people with pre-existing and chronic conditions will not be denied access to health insurance. That's what political courage is.

The President had the courage to bend the needle of history and did something presidents have tried to do for 60 years."

REPUBLICANS

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell: "Today's decision makes one thing clear: Congress must act to repeal this misguided law. Obamacare has not only limited choices and increased health care costs for American families, it has made it harder for American businesses to hire. Today's decision does nothing to diminish the fact that Obamacare's mandates, tax hikes, and Medicare cuts should be repealed and replaced with common sense reforms that lower costs and that the American people actually want. It is my hope that with new leadership in the White House and Senate, we can enact these step-by-step solutions and prevent further damage from this terrible law."

House Speaker John Boehner: "The president's health care law is hurting our economy by driving up health costs and making it harder for small businesses to hire. Today's ruling underscores the urgency of repealing this harmful law in its entirety. What Americans want is a common-sense, step-by-step approach to health care reform that will protect Americans' access to the care they need, from the doctor they choose, at a lower cost. Republicans stand ready to work with a president who will listen to the people and will not repeat the mistakes that gave our country ObamaCare."

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus: "Today's Supreme Court decision sets the stakes for the November election. Now, the only way to save the country from ObamaCare's budget-busting government takeover of health care is to elect a new president.

"Under President Obama's signature legislation, health care costs continue to skyrocket, and up to 20 million Americans could lose their employer-based coverage. A panel of unelected bureaucrats now has the unprecedented authority to come between elderly patients and their doctors. Meanwhile, the rules and regulations placed on job creators and small businesses make it nearly impossible to hire new workers at a time when Americans desperately need jobs.

"We need market-based solutions that give patients more choice, not less. The answer to rising health care costs is not, and will never be, Big Government."