Supreme Court Steps In

The Supreme Court decided today to hear the case challenging President Obama's 2010 health care bill. The Supreme Court will hear appeals from the decision by the United States Court of Appeals 11th Circuit in Atlanta. The court said the plan oversteps congressional power and it can't "regulate commerce" or "lay and collect taxes," according to the New York Times. 

The Health Care Plan aimed at getting health insurance for all uninsured Americans. The plan also prohibited insurers to deny a patient coverage due to a pre-existing condition. The controversial part is that the plan requires most people to purchase health care by 2014. If they don't, they face a tax penalty. 

"This is going to be the most heavily covered Supreme Court case in history," Washington lawyer Thomas Goldstein told USA Today. "This will run from today until summer."

The case in scheduled to be heard by March and the ruling would be delivered by the end of June. This is significant because it is right on the eve of the 2012 Presidential elections and will likely be a focal point of campaigns. 

The National Federation of Business is one of the main opponents of the law.

"For the small-business community, this comes not a day too soon," said Dan Danner, the company's CEO, to CNN. "The health care law has not lived up to its promises of reducing costs, allowing citizens to keep their coverage or improving a cumbersome system that has long been a burden to small-business owners and employees, alike. The small-business community can now have hope; their voices are going to be heard in the nations highest court."

But White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer says he thinks the law will hold up.

"We know the Affordable Care act is constitutional and are confident the Supreme Court will agree," he said in a news statement to CNN.

Many have called this the marquee piece of legislation during President Obama's term. 

Thumbnail photo by BeckyF.