The Supreme Court finished hearing the challenge of the American Healthcare Act on Wednesday, but the long journey to a decision is just beginning. Chief Justice John Roberts will call all eight Supreme Court judges together to begin making decisions about expanding health insurance to approximately 30 million Americans.
There will be a secret vote to get the ball rolling, and then the Supreme Court Judges will convene for the next three months making a decision that has gripped the country. For the next three months the judges will deliberate privately, behind doors closed to even their law clerks.
Over the three days of the initial hearing, some reports said there was doubt that the main requirement for every individual to get insurance may not survive the court’s decision. Some believe the recent hearings were clearly running on ideological lines.
During the majority of the hearings, judges presented the Obama administration lawyer with most of the questions. The lawyer, Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, defended the law.
President Barack Obama stated that he was pleased with the answers his Solicitor General provided, and is still sure that the law is constitutional.
However, Justice Anthony Kennedy was quoted as saying that the law “changes the relationship of the federal government to the individual in a very fundamental way.”
Currently 26 states and a business trade group are challenging the fact that the Supreme Court be making this ruling, citing that by them deciding the legislation is exceeding the constitutional power of the Congress.
Whatever decision is made, it will be the first time the Supreme Court has ruled on the largest goal and accomplishment of any President’s while he is in the middle of a re-election campaign.
-Desiree Baughman, InsuranceQuotes.org, @DesireeBaughman
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