No Surprise: Supreme Court Grants Individual Mandate Writs
Big Supreme Court news today: two new justices, Andromache Karakatsanis and Michael Moldaver, joined the highest court of Canada, our friendly neighbor to north.
What? You have neither the license nor the interest to argue before the Canadian Supreme Court? You wanted news of our own Supreme Court granting writs in the individual mandate appeals? You want to know when we’ll find out if the Affordable Care Act will be deemed unconstitutional?
Fine. We’ll give you what you want.
No one seriously believed that our beloved SCOTUS would deny writs in the Affordable Care Act challenge; the only question was many writs would be granted.
While a date has not yet been set, the Court will be hearing oral arguments in three cases:
- National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services v. Florida
- Florida v. Department of Health and Human Services
After an epic series of oral arguments, (330 minutes over 2 days), The Nine will decide whether the Anti-Injunction Act precludes individual mandate challenges before implementation, whether the entire law fails without the individual mandate, and whether the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion amounts to unlawful coercion, reports Politico.
The Court is expected to issue an opinion on the Affordable Care Act in late June 2012, according to SCOTUSblog.
Just a quick piece of advice for entrepreneurial D.C. readers: Now would be a good time to start a line-standing business or a coffee-delivery service for line standers.
If you have the discipline to beat Mick Sacks of First One @ One First to the number one spot in line, but you don't care about attending oral arguments, consider camping and selling your spot. A New York college student sold the first spot in line to purchase an iPad for $900 earlier this year, so we think you could command an even grand for the first spot for the most important Supreme Court hearing of the decade.
Just remember: it's illegal to sell an article in the Supreme Court Building or grounds, so you may have to arrange payment in advance of your camping adventure.
Related Resources:
- DC Circuit Upholds Individual Mandate (FindLaw's DC Circuit blog)
- Administration Invites Supreme Court Review of Individual Mandate (FindLaw's Supreme Court blog)
- National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (Supreme Court)
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services v. Florida (Supreme Court)
- Florida v. Department of Health and Human Services (Supreme Court)
- Need a Seat at Supreme Court Oral Arguments? Hire a Line Stander (FindLaw's Supreme Court blog)