Washington Report: Supreme Court Continues Health-Care Law Review

The justices are now debating the three days' worth of oral arguments, including the constitutionality of the law's individual mandate.

March 30, 2012

WASHINGTON - For three days this week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments from the federal government and challengers on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, while protestors staged demonstrations on the courthouse steps, the Washington Post reports.

The Court said it would decide whether the Affordable Care Act exceeds congressional power by requiring all Americans to have health insurance by 2014 or pay a penalty; whether the law can stand alone without an individual mandate; and whether the court can even pass judgment on the act before a penalty is assessed.

Final arguments centered on the constitutionality of the law??s individual mandate. Other arguments encompassed the government??s planned expansion of Medicaid, about which 26 states have complained.

During Wednesday??s questioning, the court seemed to accept some of the government??s argument that two insurance provisions would be nixed along with the individual mandate. But no clear message emerged on whether the justices would throw out the entire law.

Representing the states challenging the law, Paul Clement said that if the individual mandate goes, so must the rest of the law because Congress would not have passed the reform sans the individual mandate.

The court will issue its decision on the health-care law before the session ends in June.

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