Challengers’ ‘Legal Standing’ Explored During Court Arguments
Although the justices asked about whether the plaintiffs had standing -- the legal right to challenge the law -- it does not appear that either side has concerns about the issue. Other reports examine some of the other legal issues and the background of the case.
The Wall Street Journal:
Questions Linger About Plaintiffs’ Legal Standing In Health-Law Case
Questions lingered about the legal right of the health-law plaintiffs to challenge the law’s tax credits after oral arguments in the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Their lawyer said that at least two of the King v. Burwell plaintiffs did have standing, but his answers in the courtroom led to fresh uncertainties regarding one of them. (Radnofsky, 3/4)
The Associated Press:
Health Care At The High Court: 5 Ways This Time Is Different
The never-ending political fight over health care hit the Supreme Court Wednesday, and insurance coverage for millions of Americans is on the line. Didn't we do this already? Yes, but foes of President Barack Obama's signature law hope this time the justices will gut "Obamacare." The law's defenders say it's a trumped-up attack. Still sound familiar? Actually, a lot has changed since the Supreme Court's big health care decision of 2012. (Cass, 3/4)
The New York Times:
Challenge To Health Overhaul Puts Obscure Think Tank In Spotlight
In the orbit of Washington think tanks, the Competitive Enterprise Institute is an obscure name with a modest budget that belies its political connections to conservative titans like the Koch brothers. But the institute, a libertarian research group, enjoyed a coming-out of sorts on Wednesday, as the lawsuit that it organized and bankrolled — challenging the Affordable Care Act — was heard by the Supreme Court. The case has the potential to end federal insurance subsidies for some 7.5 million people in 34 states. (Lichtblau, 3/4)
USA Today:
Obamacare Protests Resemble Campaign Rallies
If the scene outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday resembled dueling campaign rallies — and it did — that was because many people's views on the hotly contested Obamacare case argued inside fall along partisan lines. On one side were workers for conservative and free-market groups trying to outshout those on the other side from union and health care advocacy groups who tried to sing over the pointed rhetoric coming from "Tea Party Patriots" and others. (O'Donnell, 3/4)