Democrats hailed the Supreme Court decision upholding President Barack Obama's signature health reform law as a historic validation of the legislation, while the decision galvanized conservatives, who vowed to stop at nothing less than "full repeal" of the law. The court ruled 5-4 that the Affordable Care Act could stand as law; Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court's liberals in determining that the act's individual mandate -- the requirement that individuals purchase health insurance, or face a penalty -- was constitutional as a tax. Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., discusses his surprise over the health care ruling and says the decision puts the law "back into the hands of the American people." The decision represented an unmitigated victory for President Obama, who had championed passage of the law at considerable political expense. Related: Supreme Court upholds health care law But Republicans said the decision would force them to redouble their efforts to elect Mitt Romney, who's promised to undo the president's health reform law, if elected. A spokeswoman for Romney said that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee raised $200,000 for his campaign within an hour of the opinion's announcement. "Today's ruling underscores the urgency of repealing this harmful law in its entirety," said House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) in a statement. 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. House Republicans scheduled a vote to repeal the law for July 11. They have made similar attempts in the past, but their legislation has failed in the Senate, where a supermajority of 60 votes are needed to advance legislation. The president, who was said to have learned of the decision alongside Vice President Joe Biden in the Oval Office, was set to address the decision this afternoon. Romney, who was also in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, was also likely to address the decision at a to-be-determined time. It was difficult, hours after the opinion was issued, to discern how the day's news would affect the long arc of the presidential campaign. Meet the Press moderator David Gregory talks about the politics of the health care law and how it presents an opportunity for President Barack Obama to resell it to the American public. Romney has mostly focused his criticism of Obama on the anemic state of the economy; the health reform law Romney had signed as governor of Massachusetts also included an individual mandate. Speaking Wednesday in the swing state of Virginia, Romney said that "if the court upholds it, if they say look it passes the Constitution, it still is bad policy and that'll mean if I'm elected we are going to repeal it and replace it." Democrats were jubilant, though, in the court's decision. Conservative justices are typically seen as controlling on the high court, and their critical questions directed toward the Obama administration's lawyer. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), speaking on the Senate floor, said he was "pleased to see the Supreme Court put the rule of law ahead of partisanship." Vote now: Do you agree with Supreme Court ruling on health care law? House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) helped shepherd the law to passage in the House as speaker in spring of 2010; Democrats lost control of the chamber in that fall's midterm elections, in part due to Republican-driven fury toward the health reform law. "In passing health reform, we made history for our nation and progress for the American people," she said in a statement. 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. Democratic aides on Capitol Hill said that Pelosi this morning called Vicki Kennedy, the widow of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), a longtime champion of health reform. "Now, Teddy can rest," Pelosi told Kennedy. Sen. Ben Cardin says with the ruling, the government can now more forward and give people the type of health care they need. Cardin stresses his hopes that Democrats and Republicans will work together to improve the health care system. While the Supreme Court's opinion lets stand the Affordable Care Act, the law still invites intense political reaction from voters, and it's likely to remain as a central issue in the electoral battle for the presidency and control of Congress. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released earlier this week found that 37 percent of Americans said they would be pleased if the court upheld the law, while 22 percent would be disappointed. Separately, though, more Americans -- 41 percent -- said they thought the law was a bad idea, versus 35 percent who said it was a good plan.