SCOTUS takes on Obama healthcare overhaul

SCOTUS takes on Obama healthcare overhaul
SCOTUS takes on Obama healthcare overhaul

SCOTUS takes on Obama healthcare overhaul

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The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to take on President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul on Monday, the first of three days of hearings. The court will address the constitutionality of the bill, known as the Affordable Care Act, that extends health insurance to more than 30 million Americans.

The legislation has long been a favorite of Democrats. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Rep. Danny Davis gathered together last week to celebrate the law’s second birthday.

According to Davis, the bill is, “the most important thing that has happened to health care in this country, since the Indians discovered corn flakes.”

The 26 states challenging the law argue the government can’t require all Americans to buy health insurance. Senator Durbin says he hopes the court will support the program.

“If they don’t it makes it much more difficult for us to bring the reform and cost cutting that we need,” he said.

A decision isn’t expected until late June, in the midst of the presidential election campaign. All of President Obama’s Republican challengers oppose the law and promise its repeal if the Supreme Court doesn’t strike it down first. In the interim, Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill are working on ways to repeal the law.