Thursday, June 28, 2012
National Federation v. Sebelius In A Nutshell
Roberts and the 4 libs (that makes 5) agree that the individual mandate can be fairly construed as a tax, AND that Congress has the power to levy this tax.
The 3 other conservatives and Kennedy (aka "the joint dissenters") dissent.
Roberts and the 3 other conservatives and Kennedy (that makes 5) agree that Congress lacks the Commerce Clause power to make you buy wheat, vegetables, or health insurance.
The 4 libs say that Congress DOES have the Commerce Clause power to make you buy wheat, vegetables, health insurance, granola, soy milk, and a lifetime subscription to Mother Jones.
Roberts, the other conservatives and Kennedy, Breyer, and Kagan (that makes 7) agree that you can't coerce states into expanding their Medicaid coverage by withholding pre-existing Medicaid funding from the states that do not agree to the expanded coverage.
Eat your heart out, Justice Story.
(wisenberg)
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/whitecollarcrime_blog/2012/06/national-federation-v-sebelius-in-a-nutshell.html