US Supreme Court Debates Health Care
United States Supreme Court Debates Health Care
The United States Supreme Court opened three days of hearings today to decide the constitutionality of the sweeping health care reform law, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), signed into law in March 2010. Because of the new taxes, fines, and penalties on employers and individuals, the Chamber Action Alliance actively opposed the ACA through a strong grassroots campaign prior to the law’s enactment.
The Supreme Court will decide whether to find the entire law unconstitutional and specifically whether the part of the law requiring the purchase of insurance, commonly referred to as the individual mandate, is unconstitutional. The Supreme Court heard 90 minutes of testimony today focused on the question of whether or not the penalty taxpayers who don’t purchase health care coverage will be required to pay is a tax or a penalty. This distinction will impact the Court’s ability to rule on the constitutionality of the ACA.
Ohio is one of twenty-six other states that are asking the Supreme Court to find not only the individual mandate unconstitutional, but to overturn the law in its entirety. The Ohio Chamber of Commerce joined other chambers from around the country in submitting an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to find the law unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court will continue to hear arguments on other aspects of the law on Tuesday and Wednesday. For transcripts of the oral arguments and updates, please visit the United States Supreme Court website.
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