Monday, November 14, 2011

Supreme Court to Rule on Obamacare

SCOTUSBlog explains Court sets 5 1/2-hour hearing on health care

"Setting the stage for a historic constitutional confrontation over federal power, the Supreme Court on Monday granted three separate cases on the constitutionality of the new federal health care law, and set aside 5 1/2 hours for oral argument, to be held in March.  The Court, however, did not grant all of the issues raised and it chose issues to review only from three of the five separate appeals before it.

The Court will hold two hours of argument on the constitutionality of the requirement that virtually every American obtain health insurance by 2014, 90 minutes on whether some or all of the overall law must fail if the mandate is struck down, one hour on whether the Anti-Injunction Act bars some or all of the challenges to the insurance mandate, and one hour on the constitutionality of the expansion of the Medicaid program for the poor and disabled. The Court chose those issues from appeals by the federal government, by 26 states, and by a business trade group. It opted not to review the challenges to new health care coverage requirements for public and private employers. It left untouched petitions by a conservative advocacy group, the Thomas More Law Center, and three of its members, and by Liberty University and two of its employees."

So in late June Justice Kennedy will decide for us. Though they seem to be addressing lots of issues, it may be more interesting.

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