COMMENTARY | The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments on the constitutionality of health care reform, also known as Obamacare. At issue is the individual mandate in which all Americans are require to get health insurance or pay a fine.
The oral arguments, lasting an unprecedented five hours, will be heard in March with a possible decision in June, just four months before the election. Those making arguments will have to answer four questions. Is the individual mandate constitutional? Can the individual mandate be struck down with the remainder of the law kept intact? Can the federal government expand Medicaid, thus imposing a burden on the states? Can the health care law even be challenged before it comes complete in effect?
Whatever decision the court makes, the result will likely go badly for the Obama administration.
Health care reform is still wildly unpopular among the vast majority of the American people. If the court upholds the law, Americans would have no other choice but to express their outrage at the ballot box. There would be a push to not only repeal health care reform, but to strengthen the commerce clause in the Constitution. In order to find health care reform constitutional, the Supreme Court would have to conclude that Congress could make Americans buy any product or service it wants, just for the privilege of being an American.
There may also be a real push to impeach justices who voted to uphold the law.
If the court were to strike down health care reform, the Obama administration is still hurt. In that circumstance President Barack Obama would have to explain why he rammed through an unconstitutional and unpopular law. Every sordid aspect of the law, including the deals that were made to pass it, would be brought up during the campaign.
Obama would be on the defensive, having to explain to an angry and skeptical electorate why his health care reform law is good for them. Obama does not do this very well, assuming as he does a haughty mien. He would be, in effect, making the case for his own electoral defeat in less than a year. What is more, he would likely drag down even more democrats in Congress with him.
wisconsin badgers football wisconsin badgers football easter island dallas weather badgers badgers the killing fields
কোন মন্তব্য নেই:
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন