At the heart of the law is the “individual mandate” – a provision
that forces all Americans who can afford health insurance to buy it.
Conservatives argued that the mandate was unconstitutional because the
government has no right to compel people to buy insurance. But the court
made the surprise ruling that the mandate is a tax and therefore well within
the powers of the federal government.
Who swung it?
Legal experts all predicted that the nine justices would split into their
usual camps of four liberals and four conservatives, leaving Justice Anthony
Kennedy, a centrist, to cast the deciding vote. Instead, Chief Justice
Roberts, who was appointed by George W Bush, crossed party lines to join the
liberals and saved Mr Obama’s reforms in a 5-4 split.
What happens next?
The reforms have survived the Republicans’ legal challenge but could still
fall victim in political battle. Mitt Romney vowed yesterday that if he wins
November’s election he will begin the process of overturning “ObamaCare”
on the first day of his presidency. The court’s decision has enraged
conservatives who are now hungrier than ever to force Mr Obama out of the
White House.