The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared closely divided along ideological lines over whether Congress had the power to require most people in the United States to buy medical insurance, with conservative justices asking skeptical questions about President Barack Obama’s healthcare law and liberals defending it.
During two dramatic hours of arguments, pivotal justices on the nine-member court suggested they would uphold the so-called individual mandate requiring people to obtain insurance only if they believed they were not giving Congress broad new powers over people’s lives.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy, two conservatives who could join the four liberal justices to uphold the law, pressed an attorney for the Obama administration to say where the limits would be on federal power if people who opted against insurance were forced to buy coverage. Read More.
