Supreme Court to Hear Case Challenging Health Law
Fair Courts E-lert
Bibliographic Info:
Author: Adam Liptak
Source: New York Times
Date: November 14, 2011
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review the constitutionality of the new federal health care law, the Affordable Care Act. The New York Times reported that “the court scheduled five and half hours of argument instead of the usual one, a testament to the importance of the case”—in which the Court will consider whether Congress overstepped its authority when it required every American to obtain insurance or pay a penalty, whether the expansion of Medicaid for the poor and the disabled was constitutional, and whether the entire law must be struck down if the individual mandate is found unconstitutional. A ruling is expected in late June next year, just as political campaigning for the 2012 election kicks into high gear. Meanwhile, SCOTUSblog also highlights the issue of recusal in the case—there have already been calls for Justices Clarence Thomas and Elena Kagan to step aside—as a potential political hot-button issue.
See also: Joan Biskupic, Supreme Court to Hear Dispute on Health Care Law, USA TODAY, November 14, 2011; Lyle Denniston, Health Care: Now, it’s the Court’s Turn, SCOTUSblog, November 10th, 2011.