Obama's healthcare law faces stiff opposition in court.
The fate of Obamacare hangs in balance, as the historical arguments came to a close on Tuesday, the second day of the trial on President Obama’s healthcare legislation that requires people to buy health insurance by 2014 or pay a penalty. New York Times reports that the US Supreme Court witnessed two hours of grueling questions posed by the nine justices to the eminent lawyers defending or challenging the authority of Congress to enact the law.
Third day in the court would see arguments on what else regarding the rest of the health law would fall if the individual mandate were ruled to be unconstitutional. Paul D. Clement, representative of the 26 states would argue that the entire law should be done away with, while Deputy Solicitor General Edwin S. Kneedler would argue in favor of the law being retained without the mandate. This would be followed by defense of the ruling that struck down the mandate by H. Bartow Farr III, friend of court.
The last day would also witness arguments for and against the right of the Congress to impose Medicaid program on the states. The defense would be presented by Donald B. Verrilli Jr. while the law would be challenged by Paul D. Clement.
Day 2 of Healthcare Law Trial at Supreme Court Witness Sharp Questions
The healthcare law seemed to be losing out with a 5 to 4 decision against it. Tuesday’s arguments point to a direction wherein the healthcare law would be undone in parts. Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr. met with rough waters within a few minutes into the argument when Justice Kennedy posed questions on ‘burden of justification’ and ‘limits of commerce clause’.
The four liberal members of the court were Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen G. Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan. However, Justices Antonin Scalia and Samuel A. Alito Jr. were conspicuously hostile.
The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the Obama healthcare law by June.
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