The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld President Barack Obama's health care reform law in a 5-4 ruling, sending the president into the November election with a major victory under his belt.
The heart of the issue surrounds the individual mandate clause, which required Americans to buy health care coverage or face penalties.
The justices ruled that mandate fell within Congress' power to collect taxes, and is therefore constitutional.
Justices John Roberts, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan wrote the majority opinion.
The decision in Florida v. Department of Health and Human Services comes as something of a surprise after the generally hostile reception the law received during the six hours of oral arguments held over three days in March. But by siding with the court's four Democratic appointees, Chief Justice Roberts avoided the delegitimizing taint of politics that surrounds a party-line vote while passing Obamacare's fate back to the elected branches. GOP candidates and incumbents will surely spend the rest of the 2012 campaign season running against the Supreme Court and for repeal of the law.
Since health care reform has long been a dividing issue among the population, we're curious what locals on the East End think about the ruling. Let us know in the comments and answer our poll.
Man: I hate obamacare! Healthcare reform should be repealed? Woman: Which part? The one that ensures children aren't denied care due to a pre-existing condition? Man: No, I like that. Woman: The part that allows kids to be covered by their parents' plan until they're 26? Man: No, that's good. Woman: The part that stops insurance providers from dropping people when they get seriously sick? Man: No, that's great. It's the other part I can't stand. Woman: Which one? Man: To Obama part.
if businees cant or wont pay they will shut down or continue to temp hire ... the recession depression will continue for genertaions ids that what evewrybody wants
Dear me. Now you have questioned Hazel Wilkonson's femininity, accused me of being anti-Protestant, and assert that my testicles are undersized. Here, as in your other comments, your ignorance is stunning.
1) the Heritage foundation for inventing the individual mandate 2) Mitt Romney for proving that it works 3) Justice Roberts for upholding the law Socialist hacks?
2. Because this is a tax now it can be repealed by a simple majority vote in the Senate. Vote Romney! Vote Long! Vote Altschuler!
Still having talking to anonymous people, I thought you said you would not do that anymore.
I am a little concerned (sic paranoid?) that Chief Justice Roberts may be doing the bidding of the RNC to insight voters against incumbent President Obama. Romney immediately got on the,"...don't like ObamaCare? Vote for me." bandwagon. That can't be a coincidence. The uninsured cost billions in medical expenses that eventually come from tax dollars. It is reasonable to require insurance because care providers are required to provide services regardless of whether the patient is insured. You could argue that the insured are better served, I wouldn't try to refute that. Don't want insurance? Don't come to me for care when you are injured or sick. Harsh? Sure. You can't have it both ways.
["meow"]
The irony: Israel contains costs by adopting a very centralized, government-run health care system — anathema to Romney’s Republican Party. “Do you realize what health care spending is as a percentage of the GDP in Israel? Eight percent. You spend eight percent of GDP on health care. You’re a pretty healthy nation,” he said Monday at a breakfast fundraiser, according to the New York Times. “We spend 18 percent of our GDP on health care, 10 percentage points more. That gap, that 10 percent cost, compare that with the size of our military — our military which is 4 percent, 4 percent. Our gap with Israel is 10 points of GDP. We have to find ways — not just to provide health care to more people, but to find ways to fund and manage our health care costs.” Israel’s health care system is an instructive exercise in all that rankles American conservatives — replete with government mandates, price controls and centralized payments funded mostly by high taxes. So how’s the socialized approach working out? Seems as though Romney likes it!