US Supreme Court clears way for challenge to Barack Obama health care law

“Care for you, care for me, care for every family!” shouted
supporters of the bill which will extend health care to 30 million more
Americans, with some 95 per cent of the population having health care
insurance by 2019 according to the Congressional Budget Office.

“We love the Constitution!” replied a smaller crowd of opponents
from the Tea Party movement which says the Obama health care reforms are a
gross infringement of personal liberty and a backdoor route to an NHS-style “socialised”
health care system.

“I’m here because I’m worried about my health and I’m worried about the
Constitution,” said Linda Dorr, a 66-year-old who travelled from
California to call for the repeal of ‘ObamaCare’, “Since when did the
government get to tell us that we have to buy health care?”

But Monica Haymond, a 23-year-old who camped out for four days for a chance to
get one of 60 seats in the public gallery, said the act was fundamental to
providing dignity and health care to those refused coverage by insurance
companies because they had pre-existing conditions.

She used the example of her father, Chuck, a Vietnam veteran who contracted
pancreatic cancer after exposure to Agent Orange and died in 2010 just days
short of his 60th birthday.

“If this law had been in place then he would have been able to afford
health care and the insurance companies wouldn’t be able to discriminate
against,” she said, “I just don’t understand how we can treat each
other like this.”

The Supreme Court hearing, comprising six hours of arguments over three days,
will be the longest case since 1967 when the court heard eight hours of
deliberations over the rights of Federal government to regulate the price of
natural gas.

The Court, which is split almost 50:50 between conservative and liberal-minded
justices, is scheduled to deliver its verdict this June, and certainly
before the presidential election.

The scale of the interest reflects the fact that Affordable Care Act, which
did not win a single Republican vote in the Senate or Congress when it was
passed in 2010, has become one of the most divisive pieces of legislation in
living memory.

The Republican candidates for president have vowed to abolish or kill the act
if elected in November, putting at stake the single biggest legislative
achievement of Mr Obama’s first term in office.

Rick Santorum, the ultraconservative Republican hopeful, appeared on the court
steps and accused Mitt Romney of being “uniquely disqualified” to
make the case against ‘ObamaCare’ which he described as a “disaster”
for the future of America.

“There’s only one candidate who has a chance of winning the Republican
nomination who can made this the central issue for winning the presidency
and that’s Rick Santorum,” he said, “Unfortunately, the worst
person to make that case is Mitt Romney – that’s why we’re here today and
he’s not.”

Mr Romney has said he opposes the president’s reforms but his opponents point
out that state-level health care legislation introduced by Mr Romney when he
was Massachusetts governor had formed a template for Mr Obama’s national
scheme.

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