Republican leaders Thursday set a July 11 vote in the House of Representatives to repeal President Barack Obama's health care law, almost immediately after the Supreme Court upheld it.
"We don't have to accept 'Obamacare,'" said House Speaker John Boehner in a message sent on his Twitter account. "The House will continue to fight for #fullrepeal."
"House Republicans remain committed to #FullRepeal of the president's health care law and all its tax hikes, fees and mandates."
Boehner tweeted his reaction within minutes of the nation's top court upholding the sweeping and historic health care reforms which aim to extend insurance coverage to 32 million Americans.
House Whip Eric Cantor announced that the House would vote July 11 to repeal "Obamacare."
In a series of tweets, Boehner insisted that the reforms, signed into law in 2010, were driving up health care costs and making it harder for small businesses to hire staff.
"I can assure you this. Republicans won't let up whatsoever in our determination to repeal this terrible law and replace it with the kind of reforms that will truly address the problems it was meant to solve," agreed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
"The court's ruling doesn't mark the end of the debate," he said speaking on the Senate floor.
"It marks a fresh start on the road to repeal. That's been our goal from the start. That's our goal now, and we plan to achieve it."
The court ruling is a huge victory for Democratic President Barack Obama as he seeks re-election in the November elections, aiming to defeat his Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
Romney has insisted that if he wins the keys to the White House he will repeal the health care reforms -- long a dream of Democrats -- on his first day in office.
But the top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi cried: "Victory for the American people!"
"Millions of American families and children will have certainty of health care benefits + affordable care," she said on her Twitter account.
Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid, speaking on the Senate floor, said he was pleased the Supreme Court had put "the rule of law ahead of partisanship and ruled the Affordable Care Act is constitutional."
The law will allow millions of Americans to keep "seeing the benefits of the law that we passed," he said. "No longer will an American families be a car accident or a heart attack away from bankruptcy."
And he took a dig at Republican efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.
"Unfortunately Republicans in Congress continue to target the rights and benefits guaranteed under this law."
"Our Supreme Court has spoken. The matter is settled."
