Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C.
I have been here to the U.S. Supreme Court multiple times and Ive never seen crowds like this. The entire plaza around the Supreme Court is completely crowded with protestors against Obamacare and with supporters of Obamacare.
This shows that this law is something that has gripped the entire nation. Most people here want to see Obamacare overturned."
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott who attended the Mondays first day of oral argument on the federal health care challenge before the U.S. Supreme Court.
While commenting on the crowds in the plaza of the U.S. Supreme Court Texas Attorney General also noted that the first day of arguments focused on the Anti-Injunction Act and whether the parties challenging the law can sue before the laws individual mandate and the penalty imposed for not complying with the mandate takes effect in 2014. Abbott had this to say about todays oral argument: The issue is whether or not this is or is not a tax. The truth of the matter is this is imposed as a penalty not a tax. The purpose of a tax is to raise revenue and the purpose of the Obamacare penalty is not to raise revenue."U.S. Supreme Court link to audio and transcript of todays oral arguments
On the issues covered in todays oral argument:
As the justices pointed out if Obamacare is successful no one will be paying a penalty because everyone will have gone out and bought the health care insurance imposed by Obamacare. Therefore clearly the Anti-Injunction Act does not apply this is not a tax" said Abbott. As Justice Alito pointed out today the Department of Justice lawyers in court today were contending that this is not a tax but he did note that theyre going to be right back in court tomorrow contending that in fact this is a tax once again pointing out the hypocrisy of the Obama Administration position" Abbott said.
