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The ObamaCare Argument – The Third and Final Day
PJ Media ^ | March 28, 2012 | Hans A. von Spakovsky

Posted on 03/28/2012 3:45:25 PM PDT by jazusamo

The surest sign your lawyer hasn't done a good job is when you issue a statement defending his performance.

Solicitor General Donald Verrilli’s performance before the court has been widely panned as “weak and ineffectual.” Even liberal commentator Jeffrey Toobin called Verrilli’s arguments “a train wreck for the Obama administration.”

But to judge the full measure of just how badly the government did in the last three days, all you have do is read the Administration’s statement to the press. In it, White House Counsel Kathryn Reummler claims that Verrilli “ably and skillfully represented the United States before the Supreme Court.” The surest sign that your lawyer has not done a good job is when you have to issue a statement defending his performance.

Of course, Verrilli may have done the best he could, given what he had to work with. The government’s constitutional justification for ObamaCare was extremely weak. In fact, it was without precedent. Even under the expansive view of the Commerce Clause taken by the Supreme Court over the last 70 years, the Court never held that Congress could compel individuals to engage in commerce – only that it could regulate them once they were engaging in commerce.

This morning Paul Clement, representing the challengers, argued that the Supreme Court should strike down the entire law. The liberal justices were clearly hostile to the claim that if the individual mandate is unconstitutional, then the law fails in its entirety. Justice Sotomayor interrupted Clement’s opening almost immediately to ask him why the Court should strike down the entire law if only one provision of it is unconstitutional. Shouldn’t the Court presume that the law is not severable if there is no severability clause? Clement cautioned that would be inconsistent with the court’s prior practice and precedent.

Other justices, including Justice Kennedy and Chief Justice Roberts, asked numerous questions about the complexity of the law designed by Congress and whether it would still achieve its objective of “affordability” and “patient protection” without the individual mandate. Clement argued that it would not, and that the mandate was essential to the law – it was the funding mechanism for many other requirements such as the community rating and guaranteed issue policies forced on health insurance companies. Without it, ObamaCare would be a “hollow shell,” Clement maintained, and the economics of the plan fall apart.

The conservative justices were obviously concerned that if they left parts of the law in place, the votes would not be present in Congress to fix it. From the “Louisiana Purchase” to the “Cornhusker Kickback,”so many “venal” deals (as Justice Scalia described at least one of them) were struck to get the votes needed for final passage, “legislative inertia” would prevent remedying any problems with the law.

Justice Ginsburg voiced disagreement, saying that the Court faced “a choice between a wrecking operation…or a salvage job.” She claimed that “the more conservative approach would be salvage rather than throwing out everything.” Of course, Justice Ginsburg has never taken the “conservative” approach in her entire time on the bench. Here she might, since it would be the only way for her to achieve the policy outcome she wants. To Justice Kagan’s claim that this was “a perfect example where half a loaf is better than no loaf,” Clement said that this was a situation “where half a loaf is actually worse.”

The conservative justices were also concerned that striking the mandate but leaving other parts of the law in place would bankrupt the insurance market. Deputy Solicitor General Edwin Kneedler, who was arguing the severability issue instead of Donald Verrilli, disputed that contention. That was too much even for Justice Sotomayor (who is clearly going to vote to uphold the law), since that claim ignored “the congressional findings and all of the evidence Congress had before it that community ratings and guaranteed issuance would be a death spiral…without minimum coverage.”

Justice Scalia scolded the Deputy SG at the idea that the Court should go through every part of the 2,700 page law to decide which particular provisions should be kept. He clearly thought that was impractical. Justice Ginsburg made the half-joking suggestion that the government sit down with the challengers and try to agree on which provisions are peripheral, which Kneedler said could not be done. Scalia quipped that they could issue a conference report just like congressional committees do when they are trying to iron out differences between the Senate and House on a bill.

Kneedler argued that the doctrine of “judicial restraint” calls for not throwing out the entire law. But Justice Kennedy pointed out that if the Court struck down only part of the law, and the result was increased risk for insurance companies “that Congress had never intended… we would have a new regime that Congress did not provide for, did not consider [and it could] be argued at least to be a more extreme exercise of judicial power than…striking the whole [law].”

Clement told the Court that “the choice is to give Congress the task of fixing this statute…after some of it is struck down, or giving them the task of simply fixing the problem on a clean slate.” He did not think it was “a close choice.” The entire law “should fall.”

The afternoon session started at 1:00 and was again argued on behalf of the government by Solicitor General Verrilli. It concerned the new Medicaid spending conditions imposed on the states by ObamaCare. This question is murkier than the individual mandate. But if the Court finds the individual mandate unconstitutional and strikes down the entire law, they can avoid the Medicare question in its entirety.

Verrilli ended his argument with a startling claim – that the provisions of the ObamaCare law actually “secure the blessings of liberty.” He said with a straight face that “for the Court’s obligation to ensure that the Federal Government remains a government of enumerated powers, that this is not a case in any of its aspects that calls that into question.”

Paul Clement could not let Verrilli get away with that absurd claim. He ended the day by saying that while he appreciated what the SG had said, he:

“would respectfully suggest that it’s a very funny conception of liberty that forces somebody to purchase an insurance policy whether they want it or not. And it’s a very strange conception of federalism that says that we can simply give the States an offer that they can’t refuse, and through the spending power which is premised on the notion that Congress can do more because it’s voluntary, we can force the States to do whatever we tell them to. That is a direct threat to our federalism.”

I can’t think of a better ending to three days of arguments in the Supreme Court over fundamental issues of liberty and the power of the government in what is surely the most important case heard by the Court since Brown v. Board of Education.

Hans A. von Spakovsky is a Senior Legal Fellow at the Heritage Foundation (www.heritage.org) and a former commissioner on the Federal Election Commission.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News
KEYWORDS: obamacare; scotus
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The ObamaCare Arguments – The Second Day

The ObamaCare Arguments – The First Day

1 posted on 03/28/2012 3:45:35 PM PDT by jazusamo
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To: BuckeyeTexan

SCOTUS Ping!


2 posted on 03/28/2012 3:48:41 PM PDT by jazusamo (Character assassination is just another form of voter fraud: Thomas Sowell)
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To: jazusamo

“You’re doin’ a great job, Brownie!”


3 posted on 03/28/2012 3:49:47 PM PDT by ottbmare (The OTTB Mare)
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To: jazusamo

If what the regime’s lawyer was doing was “able and skillful”, then I would not care to see him when he was inept and clumsy in his presentation.

The train wreck got turned into a plane crash as it was. Why, if Donald Verrilli were to have had a bad day, this may have gone poorly for the regime.

As it is, the Ragin’ Cajun, James Carville, says there’s just nothing but good gonna come out of this case, no matter how it is decided. If the whole act is overthrown, then the Republicans got to come up with some alternative, and if only parts are thrown out, then there is still time and enough good will to get it fixed.

Or the whole act might stand as the current regime’s signature achievement.


4 posted on 03/28/2012 4:11:54 PM PDT by alloysteel (College "education" may be the worst mischief to be inflicted upon the next generation.)
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To: jazusamo

Will the ‘smart Latina” woman recuse herself or will she ignore and place herself above “letter and spirit” of 28 U.S.C. 455.?


5 posted on 03/28/2012 4:14:53 PM PDT by yoe
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To: alloysteel

I may be wrong but I believe Carville, Pelosi and a lot of other Rats are doing damage control to cover themselves should this be thrown out.


6 posted on 03/28/2012 4:17:39 PM PDT by jazusamo (Character assassination is just another form of voter fraud: Thomas Sowell)
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To: yoe

I noticed the article you just posted and haven’t read it yet, she’s definitely placed herself above the “letter and spirit.”


7 posted on 03/28/2012 4:22:27 PM PDT by jazusamo (Character assassination is just another form of voter fraud: Thomas Sowell)
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To: jazusamo

“a train wreck for the Obama administration.”

For? The Obama administration is a train wreck.


8 posted on 03/28/2012 4:31:07 PM PDT by Henry Hnyellar
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To: Henry Hnyellar

Praying that the whole thing goes down.


9 posted on 03/28/2012 4:37:23 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: jazusamo
To Justice Kagan’s claim that this was “a perfect example where half a loaf is better than no loaf,” Clement said that this was a situation “where half a loaf is actually worse.”

More properly stated this would be a situation where you have a whole loaf without any flour. Not much of a loaf.

10 posted on 03/28/2012 4:46:28 PM PDT by TexasNative2000 (Jimmy Carter's incompetence + Richard Nixon's paranoia = Barack Obama)
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To: jazusamo
To Justice Kagan’s claim that this was “a perfect example where half a loaf is better than no loaf,” Clement said that this was a situation “where half a loaf is actually worse.”

What's worse than biting into an apple and finding a worm? Biting into an apple and finding half a worm.

Today's tone makes me optimistic but I don't want to read too much into it since they have to assume it will be struck down to have coherent questions.

11 posted on 03/28/2012 4:55:10 PM PDT by RagingBull (Talent does what it can; genius does what it must)
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To: jazusamo

Clearly the whole thing must go. To keep parts that are already in effect, which is what Obama was counting on to make the law stick, is to encode into law items that would not have passed on their own. They were part of the carrot that was used to pass the law, while the more repulsive parts were kept in abeyance, including the lion’s share of the cost.

Too bad we won’t be able recover the cost of the Medicaid breaks and other financial incentives that were handed out as well, should the law be struck down.


12 posted on 03/28/2012 5:02:52 PM PDT by firebrand
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To: jazusamo

Would anyone be surprised if ObamaCare’s constitutionality ends up being decided along religious lines rather than according to the Justices’ ideologies as expected — that is, the six Catholic Justices, including Sonia Sotomayor voting against ObamaCare and the three Jewish Justices for it?

After all, because of ObamaCare’s provision that religious institutions must provide insurance for practices they oppose on religious grounds, the law is not only about the Commerce Clause but also about the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious freedom.

Will Justice Sotomayor defy Cardinal Dolan, who represents the Pope in America, and agree to tear up the Bill of Rights just to stay in good standing with the liberal establishment? Justice Sotomayor promised to bring a wise Hispanic woman’s wisdom to the Supreme Court. We’ll soon see if she keeps her word.


13 posted on 03/28/2012 5:15:19 PM PDT by Bluestocking
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To: jazusamo

The GOP congress need only allow for buying insurance across state lines and pass tort reform. Presto. Health care costs problem solved.


14 posted on 03/28/2012 7:17:00 PM PDT by Freedom_Is_Not_Free (REPEAL OBAMACARE. Nothing else matters.)
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To: TexasNative2000
To Justice Kagan’s claim that this was “a perfect example where half a loaf is better than no loaf,”

That, coming from a "pinched loaf"...

15 posted on 03/28/2012 7:21:57 PM PDT by Caipirabob (I say we take off and Newt the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure...)
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To: jazusamo

oh, and reduce regulations on health care providers. That’s all. OK, that’s not an easy one to get passed...


16 posted on 03/28/2012 7:30:16 PM PDT by Freedom_Is_Not_Free (REPEAL OBAMACARE. Nothing else matters.)
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To: Freedom_Is_Not_Free

Agree on all points and you’re right, it won’t be easy to pass. There are far too many people in DC willing to kowtow to the entitlement crowd.


17 posted on 03/28/2012 7:51:48 PM PDT by jazusamo (Character assassination is just another form of voter fraud: Thomas Sowell)
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To: Caipirabob

Touché.


18 posted on 03/28/2012 7:52:16 PM PDT by TexasNative2000 (Jimmy Carter's incompetence + Richard Nixon's paranoia = Barack Obama)
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To: jazusamo
The following are the oral arguments before the Supreme Court regarding Obamacare. Arguments took an unprecidented three days. Monday (03/26/12), was basically about the commerce clause and related issues. Tuesday concerned the individual mandate portion of the bill. Wednesday covered severability - that is, whether any part of the bill should stand if any part of it was declared unconstitutional.

My apologies for not having html of these transcripts available. The PDFs came from the Supreme Court, and I was able to convert them to epubs, but my attempts at converting to html was simply too damned messy to publish. If you've got an ebook reader, the epub files work pretty well.


19 posted on 03/28/2012 9:22:40 PM PDT by zeugma (Those of us who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living.)
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To: jazusamo; Lurking Libertarian; JDW11235; Clairity; TheOldLady; Spacetrucker; Art in Idaho; ...
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

FReepmail me to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the SCOTUS ping list.

20 posted on 03/29/2012 12:30:35 AM PDT by BuckeyeTexan (Man is not free unless government is limited. ~Ronald Reagan)
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