PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota Sen. John Thune says he's disappointed that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the federal health care reform law, and says Republicans in Congress will continue efforts to repeal the law.
The Senate's third-ranking Republican says the GOP wants to work with Democrats step by step to improve and expand access to health care, while reducing costs to people and businesses.
Thune says Democratic President Barack Obama's law has failed to cut health insurance costs, but instead has raised insurance premiums.
South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson says he is pleased with the Supreme Court decision upholding the federal health care law because it provides a foundation for Congress to continue working to reduce health care costs and increase the number of people who are insured.
The Democratic senator says the law has already helped many South Dakotans. He says more than 9,000 young adults have been covered under their parents' health insurance policies and nearly 100,000 South Dakotans on Medicare have saved money on prescription drugs.
Census Bureau data show about 105,000 South Dakotans had no health insurance in 2010, though state officials believe only about 71,000 people in the state are uninsured.
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AP-WF-06-28-12 1511GMT
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