WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday upholding the legality of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is receiving a split decision from Butler County’s federal representatives.

Rep. Mike Kelly, R-3rd, of Butler tied the Supreme Court’s ruling to this year’s presidential election.

“Despite the president’s repeated assurances to the American people that his signature health care law would not be a tax, it survived a U.S. Supreme Court challenge because it was interpreted as such,” he said in a statement.

“The American people were woefully misled by this president, and I share the outrage of the majority of Americans who want this law repealed.”

“The health care law raids $500 billion from Medicare, institutes a rationing panel that will deny seniors critical health care coverage, destroys millions of jobs, and threatens to take away our constitutionally-protected religious freedoms.”

Rep. Jason Altmire, D-4th, supports the court’s decision.

“Although I voted against the 2010 health care reform bill, I never believed, nor did I ever argue, that it would be found unconstitutional,” Altmire said in a statement.

“I voted against the bill because my constituents were overwhelmingly against it, and because I believed that bill was flawed policy. Two years later, I still believe that the law does not adequately strike the balance between expanding coverage, improving quality, and lowering costs,” he said.

Also supporting the ruling is Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, who said in a statement: “The fact that this law was upheld means that Pennsylvanians will not lose their coverage due to preexisting conditions, young adults will be allowed coverage under a parent’s plan and older Americans will not have to face dramatic increases in prescription drug costs.

“I will continue to work with other senators to make improvements to the legislation. Further, there is no doubt that we still confront significant challenges to reducing the cost of health care and the only way to address these in the long-run is for Democrats and Republicans to work together.”

Tom Smith, the Republican candidate running against Casey in November, opposes the court’s ruling.

“Health care decisions should be made by doctors, patients and their families, not by government bureaucrats,” Smith said in a news release, adding that if he wins Casey’s seat, he will work to repeal the law.

Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican, also is disappointed in the court’s ruling. He said in a statement: “Today’s decision is a jarring blow to our 200-year-old tradition of constitutionally limited government and personal liberty.”

He said the health care law will increase health care costs and “cost our country jobs.”

On the state level, Don White, R-41st, chairman of the state Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, said he opposed the ruling.

In a statement, he said, “... we will review what steps must be taken for implementation of the law, while working to the best of our ability to minimize the negative impacts of this law on the people of Pennsylvania.”

He said the Legislature should pass Senate Bill 10, which would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to state that no person will be compelled to buy health insurance under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.