BREAKING>>>>SCOTUS upholds federal Obamacare exchange subsidies in 6-3 vote

[jmyrlefuller]

What congress giveth, congress could taketh away. That is where Roberts is coming from.

Wishful thinking "conservatives" hoped the SC would do what congress would not.

Congress put the clause in question into the law. The courts have taken that away, for the benefit of the law. Once again, King John has taken to rewriting the law to his suiting.

It is not the role of the court to copy-edit poor legislation as Roberts has so plainly done. Remedying legislative negligence is the responsibility of the Congress that passed the bill, not the courts. Yet the courts overstepped their authority.

[jmyrlefuller]

I hope the "Take My Ball Home" crowd who sat out 2012 because "there is no difference between GOP and Democrats" are happy with themselves.

A Republican wrote this ruling. Doesn't that prove them right?

[raml]

Our country can't be saved not by any of the republicans in elected positions or they would have done something by now. I voted republican was even a member of the party many years ago but I now give up on them. I will not vote republican unless the person running had shown in the past he will live up to the platform our last election was a joke we put republicans in and they are now doing everything in their power to give Obama everything he wants. There are many like me who are fed up and realize it is to late to save the country the supreme court and congress has made sure of that there  is no way a rino is going to change a thing so no I don't intend to vote straight republican I will even write in people due to I do believe in voting just not for the fools that are being elected lately. Why in the world do you think doing the same thing over and over again voting for rino republicans is going to change anything?  It hasn't and won't I refuse to be stupid like you are telling people to be and vote all republicans even thought most of them are not close to being anything different than the mess of democrats we already have had for 8 yrs. Bush wasn't a conservative and he helped to bring our country down by being a do nothing president his second term and allowing illegal immigration to get out of hand. I am done with the politics of the dems and repubs.

[Carling]

A Republican wrote this ruling. Doesn't that prove them right?

By all means, sit out the next election when Ginsberg will be retiring, along with Scalia.

Again, how many GOP congress people voted for ObamaCare?

[Carling]

Our country can't be saved not by any of the republicans in elected positions or they would have done something by now. I voted republican was even a member of the party many years ago but I now give up on them. I will not vote republican unless the person running had shown in the past he will live up to the platform our last election was a joke we put republicans in and they are now doing everything in their power to give Obama everything he wants. There are many like me who are fed up and realize it is to late to save the country the supreme court and congress has made sure of that there  is no way a rino is going to change a thing so no I don't intend to vote straight republican I will even write in people due to I do believe in voting just not for the fools that are being elected lately. Why in the world do you think doing the same thing over and over again voting for rino republicans is going to change anything?  It hasn't and won't I refuse to be stupid like you are telling people to be and vote all republicans even thought most of them are not close to being anything different than the mess of democrats we already have had for 8 yrs. Bush wasn't a conservative and he helped to bring our country down by being a do nothing president his second term and allowing illegal immigration to get out of hand. I am done with the politics of the dems and repubs.

So you're going to just whine on an internet forum and do nothing about it.  That seems cowardly to me.

Roberts is 100% wrong on this decision.  Now what?

[Luis Gonzalez]

Our country can't be saved not by any of the republicans in elected positions or they would have done something by now. I voted republican was even a member of the party many years ago but I now give up on them. I will not vote republican unless the person running had shown in the past he will live up to the platform our last election was a joke we put republicans in and they are now doing everything in their power to give Obama everything he wants. There are many like me who are fed up and realize it is to late to save the country the supreme court and congress has made sure of that there  is no way a rino is going to change a thing so no I don't intend to vote straight republican I will even write in people due to I do believe in voting just not for the fools that are being elected lately. Why in the world do you think doing the same thing over and over again voting for rino republicans is going to change anything?  It hasn't and won't I refuse to be stupid like you are telling people to be and vote all republicans even thought most of them are not close to being anything different than the mess of democrats we already have had for 8 yrs. Bush wasn't a conservative and he helped to bring our country down by being a do nothing president his second term and allowing illegal immigration to get out of hand. I am done with the politics of the dems and repubs.

So you're doing absolutely nothing about anything other than perhaps sow despair and dissent, which coincidentally may have the extra added benefit of helping the Democrats.

Pathetic.

[Luis Gonzalez]

So you're going to just whine on an internet forum and do nothing about it.  That seems cowardly to me.

Roberts is 100% wrong on this decision.  Now what?

Is Roberts 100% wrong on this decision?

That's a great question.

Some days back, there was quite a heated argument here about whether or not the SCOTUS had the last word about this or not.

Here's Roberts' closing statement on his decision:

In a democracy, the power to make the law rests with those chosen by the people. Our role is more confined—“to say what the law is.” Marbury v. Madison, 1 Cranch 137, 177 (1803). That is easier in some cases than in others. But in every case we must respect the role of the Legislature, and take care not to undo what it has done. A fair reading of legislation demands a fair understanding of the legislative plan.

Congress passed the Affordable Care Act to improve health insurance markets, not to destroy them. If at all possible, we must interpret the Act in a way that is consistent with the former, and avoids the latter. Section 36B can fairly be read consistent with what we see as Congress’s plan, and that is the reading we adopt.

Let me repeat something that bears repeating:

In a democracy, the power to make the law rests with those chosen by the people.

That's Roberts, twice now, basically telling us that the government that we have, is the government that we voted for, or that we allowed to be voted into power by not voting.

Roberts says that we own this. We voted this people in place, or allowed them to be voted in place by our not voting.

Now, there are some that will make all kinds of arguments about how they "cheated" and changed the rules, but that does not change one incredibly stark and pertinent fact: had there been a GOP majority in Congress and a Republican in the White House, this bill would have never passed.

So the response to all those who spend their time in this forum making disparaging remarks about the GOP (not you Carling... I'm up on my soapbox right now) claiming that there's not a dime's worth of difference between the GOP and Democrats, I say bullshit.

You all know, just like I know, that this bill would have never been passed by a Republican House and Senate.

And THAT'S a difference way bigger than a dime.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Our country can't be saved not by any of the republicans in elected positions or they would have done something by now. I voted republican was even a member of the party many years ago but I now give up on them. I will not vote republican unless the person running had shown in the past he will live up to the platform our last election was a joke we put republicans in and they are now doing everything in their power to give Obama everything he wants. There are many like me who are fed up and realize it is to late to save the country the supreme court and congress has made sure of that there  is no way a rino is going to change a thing so no I don't intend to vote straight republican I will even write in people due to I do believe in voting just not for the fools that are being elected lately. Why in the world do you think doing the same thing over and over again voting for rino republicans is going to change anything?  It hasn't and won't I refuse to be stupid like you are telling people to be and vote all republicans even thought most of them are not close to being anything different than the mess of democrats we already have had for 8 yrs. Bush wasn't a conservative and he helped to bring our country down by being a do nothing president his second term and allowing illegal immigration to get out of hand. I am done with the politics of the dems and repubs.

Yet, had there been a Republican majority in Congress in 2010, this law would have never been written, let alone passed.

I suggest that you move.

[olde north church]

...
Here's Roberts' closing statement on his decision:

Let me repeat something that bears repeating:

In a democracy, the power to make the law rests with those chosen by the people.

That's Roberts, twice now, basically telling us that the government that we have, is the government that we voted for, or that we allowed to be voted into power by not voting.

Roberts says that we own this. We voted this people in place, or allowed them to be voted in place by our not voting.

...

Point of order, we supposedly live in a representative republic, NOT a democracy.  Secondarily, you actually think a Republican Congress and President are going to repeal this abomination when every lobbyist, PACman and candidate will be making money hand over fist promising to get rid of it?
Sheee-it, SCOTUS just gave permission to run the money printing machines 24/7.

[Bigun]

Is Roberts 100% wrong on this decision?

YES! 100% wrong!  He get's to READ the plain English language words that were written down in the law by the legislature and tell us what he thinks they mean NOT what he thinks they SHOULD mean! And he has NO business what-so-ever even considering what the effects of a court decision would or would not be!


The Scalia dissent has it exactly right!

“The court holds that when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act says ‘Exchange established by the State’ it means ‘Exchange established by the State or the Federal Government,’ That is of course quite absurd, and the court’s 21 pages of explanation make it no less so.”

"This Court, however, concludes that this limitation would prevent the rest of the Act from working as well as hoped. So it re-writes the law to make tax credits available everywhere. We should start calling this law SCOTUScare."

Under our system of government courts - none of them - get to write law!

The Court’s decision reflects the philosophy that judges should endure whatever interpretive distortions it takes in order to correct a supposed flaw in the statutory machinery. That philosophy ignores the American people’s decision to give Congress ‘[a]ll legislative Powers’ enumerated in the Constitution. Art. I, §1. They made Congress, not this Court, responsible for both making laws and mending them. This Court holds only the judicial power — the power to pronounce the law as Congress has enacted it. We lack the prerogative to repair laws that do not work out in practice, just as the people lack the ability to throw us out of office if they dislike the solutions we concoct. We must always remember, therefore, that ‘

• ur task is to apply the text, not to improve upon it.’ Pavelic & LeFlore v. Marvel Entertainment Group, Div. of Cadence Industries Corp., 493 U. S. 120, 126 (1989). Trying to make its judge-empowering approach seem respectful of congressional authority, the Court asserts that its decision merely ensures that the Affordable Care Act operates the way Congress ‘meant [it] to operate.’ Ante, at 17. First of all, what makes the Court so sure that Congress ‘meant’ tax credits to be available everywhere? Our only evidence of what Congress meant comes from the terms of the law, and those terms show beyond all question that tax credits are available only on state Exchanges. More importantly, the Court forgets that ours is a government of laws and not of men. That means we are governed by the terms of our laws, not by the unenacted will of our lawmakers. ‘If Congress enacted into law something different from what it intended, then it should amend the statute to conform to its intent.’ Lamie, supra, at 542. In the meantime, this Court ‘has no roving license . . . to disregard clear language simply on the view that . . . Congress “must have intended” something broader.’ Bay Mills, 572 U. S., at ___ (slip op., at 11).

Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/420297/scalias-dissent-mona-charen

[MACVSOG68]

YES! 100% wrong!  He get's to READ the plain English language words that were written down in the law by the legislature and tell us what he thinks they mean NOT what he thinks they SHOULD mean! And he has NO business what-so-ever even considering what the effects of a court decision would or would not be!


The Scalia dissent has it exactly right!
Under our system of government courts - none of them - get to write law!
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/420297/scalias-dissent-mona-charen

I do agree with you Bigun.  But isn't that what the Court did in the Citizens' United decision?  And many on here and other conservative forums want the Court to find that the 14th Amendment doesn't really mean the plain English written in Section I.  Many say the court should go back and look at the intent of Congress not necessarily the language that resulted.

[olde north church]

I do agree with you Bigun.  But isn't that what the Court did in the Citizens' United decision?  And many on here and other conservative forums want the Court to find that the 14th Amendment doesn't really mean the plain English written in Section I.  Many say the court should go back and look at the intent of Congress not necessarily the language that resulted.

Good intentions make bad law, as someone has said.

[massadvj]

I think it is quite naive to suggest that a GOP congress and presidency is the answer.  The last time we had a GOP legislature and WH, government expanded at a clip far greater than it had at any time previously.  K Street was like a feeding trough.  Of course, that was the impetus for even greater expansionism which brought us this Obamacare abomination because the Demons advanced the absolutely false meme that what had caused the crash of 2008/09 was unbridled capitalism.

It is apparent to me at this point that both parties are institutional parties and there simply is no place in this system for people who favor dismantling any federal institutions.  We have evolved into a society in which 70 percent or more of the population (myself included since I am employed by a state-funded institution) are living off the teat of 30 percent who actually produce things.  I think that spread is going to continue to widen until we meet critical mass as described in Atlas Shrugged.  Whether that happens in my lifetime, I cannot say.

It is a very sad day.  The only silver lining for me is that the people who are getting royally screwed here are the Millennials who elected this "messiah" and now must live their entire adulthoods in massive debt and mandatory financial obligations so onerous there will be no hope for the attainment of the American dream.  One can only hope these Internet-addicted airheads will one day figure out that elections have consequences.  But I fear not. 

So long as online porn and video games are cheap and accessible, Millennials will be fully satisfied with their lives.

[aligncare]

It's hard to be optimistic these days.

Pity the children of a post-liberty America.

[Lando Lincoln]

I think it is quite naive to suggest that a GOP congress and presidency is the answer.  The last time we had a GOP legislature and WH, government expanded at a clip far greater than it had at any time previously.  K Street was like a feding trough.  Of course, that was the impetus for even greater expansionism which brought us this Obamacare abomination because the Demons advanced the absolutely false meme that what had caused the crash of 2008/09 was unbridled capitalism.

It is apparent to me at this point that both parties are institutional parties and there simply is no place in this system for people who favor dismantling any federal institutions.  We have evolved into a society in which 70 percent or more of the population (myself included since I am employed by a state-funded institution) are living off the teat of 30 percent who actually produce things.  I think that spread is going to continue to widen until we meet critical mass as described in Atlas Shrugged.  Whether that happens in my lifetime, I cannot say.

It is a very sad day.  The only silver lining for me is that the people who are getting royally screwed here are the Millennials who elected this "messiah" and now must live their entire adulthoods in massive debt and mandatory financial obligations so onerous there will be no hope for the attainment of the American dream.  One can only hope these Internet-addicted airheads will one day figure out that elections have consequences.  But I fear not. 

So long as online porn and video games are cheap and accessible, Millennials will be fully satisfied with their lives.

Brilliantly and sadly stated.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Point of order, we supposedly live in a representative republic, NOT a democracy.  Secondarily, you actually think a Republican Congress and President are going to repeal this abomination when every lobbyist, PACman and candidate will be making money hand over fist promising to get rid of it?
Sheee-it, SCOTUS just gave permission to run the money printing machines 24/7.

Democracy in the sense that we pick our "public servants" by vote, and he or she who gets the most votes wins.

On your second point... I think that if there is a chance in Hell for that to happen, it will only happen under a GOP-controlled Congress and President.

On the larger point, we are where we are as a results of the millions of voters who stayed home because McCain was too ___(fill in the blank with your objection of choice___, and because Romney was a ___(fill in the blank with your objection of choice___. Now, many more are taking the stance that they won't vote for this guy or that guy because ___(fill in the blank with your objection of choice___ so there's a great possibility that there's more of this crap coming down the pike.

[Luis Gonzalez]

I do agree with you Bigun.  But isn't that what the Court did in the Citizens' United decision?  And many on here and other conservative forums want the Court to find that the 14th Amendment doesn't really mean the plain English written in Section I.  Many say the court should go back and look at the intent of Congress not necessarily the language that resulted.

I find it amusing that people who complain that the Courts shouldn't get to write law, are pissed off that the Court let the law stand as written and implemented by the Congress that wrote, enacted and implemented the law, and that people that say that the Courts have no power to overturn laws written by Congress, are now complaining that the Court didn't overturn this law.

Next week, if the SCOTUS legalizes same-sex marriage in the US, many of these very same people will reverse their argument.

For every decision made by the SCOTUS, there will be one group of people crying about the death of the Republic while another group hails the Court for saving it.

[olde north church]

Democracy in the sense that we pick our "public servants" by vote, and he or she who gets the most votes wins.

On your second point... I think that if there is a chance in Hell for that to happen, it will only happen under a GOP-controlled Congress and President.

On the larger point, we are where we are as a results of the millions of voters who stayed home because McCain was too ___(fill in the blank with your objection of choice___, and because Romney was a ___(fill in the blank with your objection of choice___. Now, many more are taking the stance that they won't vote for this guy or that guy because ___(fill in the blank with your objection of choice___ so there's a great possibility that there's more of this crap coming down the pike.

I'm not sure how much the purists affected the elections.  To me, it's a lot like blaming the out of state drivers for all the ills on a highway.  The problem is a demographic one and I don't mean woman, black, brown, gay, whatever.  It's a matter of those who enjoy liberty and those who confuse liberty with free birth control, phone, commit a parody of marriage, whatever.  Or do know the difference and just to not give a frig.
If people cared that much about the country, they would take the effort to give up an their business's hour take or give up an hour of "x".  Honestly, they don't.  They are apathetic.  The only people with the time to hatch plots are the people Mr. and Mrs. Front Porch are supporting with the sweat of their brow and pain in their ass.

[MACVSOG68]

I find it amusing that people who complain that the Courts shouldn't get to write law, are pissed off that the Court let the law stand as written and implemented by the Congress that wrote, enacted and implemented the law, and that people that say that the Courts have no power to overturn laws written by Congress, are now complaining that the Court didn't overturn this law.

Next week, if the SCOTUS legalizes same-sex marriage in the US, many of these very same people will reverse their argument.

For every decision made by the SCOTUS, there will be one group of people crying about the death of the Republic while another group hails the Court for saving it.

Indeed, in politics we condemn the actions and decisions of the opposition, while vehemently defending essentially the same thing when our side does it.  And by "we", I include me. 

[Luis Gonzalez]

Indeed, in politics we condemn the actions and decisions of the opposition, while vehemently defending essentially the same thing when our side does it.  And by "we", I include me.

I had a notion that things weren't going to go our way on this.

Here's some perspective.

http://www.acslaw.org/acsblog/will-text-or-context-reign-supreme-in-king-v-burwell

[mountaineer]

They're on a roll: SCOTUS just ruled homosexuals may marry in all 50 states.

[andy58-in-nh]

They're on a roll: SCOTUS just ruled homosexuals may marry in all 50 states.

I'm disgusted, but not surprised. The days of "checks and balances" in our government are gone. Now, both the executive branch and the judiciary operate as super-legislatures, whose primary purpose is to advance favored policy objectives. The Constitution is routinely ignored, and in fact, is being rewritten irrespective of its own prescribed amendment process.

[Free Vulcan]

I think it is quite naive to suggest that a GOP congress and presidency is the answer.  The last time we had a GOP legislature and WH, government expanded at a clip far greater than it had at any time previously.  K Street was like a feeding trough.  Of course, that was the impetus for even greater expansionism which brought us this Obamacare abomination because the Demons advanced the absolutely false meme that what had caused the crash of 2008/09 was unbridled capitalism.

It is apparent to me at this point that both parties are institutional parties and there simply is no place in this system for people who favor dismantling any federal institutions.  We have evolved into a society in which 70 percent or more of the population (myself included since I am employed by a state-funded institution) are living off the teat of 30 percent who actually produce things.  I think that spread is going to continue to widen until we meet critical mass as described in Atlas Shrugged.  Whether that happens in my lifetime, I cannot say.

It is a very sad day.  The only silver lining for me is that the people who are getting royally screwed here are the Millennials who elected this "messiah" and now must live their entire adulthoods in massive debt and mandatory financial obligations so onerous there will be no hope for the attainment of the American dream.  One can only hope these Internet-addicted airheads will one day figure out that elections have consequences.  But I fear not. 

So long as online porn and video games are cheap and accessible, Millennials will be fully satisfied with their lives.

Exactly. We've been down this road before, having Republicans in all three positions, and we got more of the same. Now all the chest beaters on here think that if we do it again something will be different next time.

I've been working in politics for 20 years and I'm tired of beating my head against the wall. I am indeed going Galt and making the best of it. I have zero hope in our political system from here.

[GourmetDan]

Exactly. We've been down this road before, having Republicans in all three positions, and we got more of the same. Now all the chest beaters on here think that if we do it again something will be different next time.

I've been working in politics for 20 years and I'm tired of beating my head against the wall. I am indeed going Galt and making the best of it. I have zero hope in our political system from here.

The sole purpose of the Republican Party is to serve as an ineffective alternative to the Democrat Party.
                                                                                                                                                           

[Scottftlc]

I think it is quite naive to suggest that a GOP congress and presidency is the answer.  The last time we had a GOP legislature and WH, government expanded at a clip far greater than it had at any time previously.  K Street was like a feeding trough.  Of course, that was the impetus for even greater expansionism which brought us this Obamacare abomination because the Demons advanced the absolutely false meme that what had caused the crash of 2008/09 was unbridled capitalism.

It is apparent to me at this point that both parties are institutional parties and there simply is no place in this system for people who favor dismantling any federal institutions.  We have evolved into a society in which 70 percent or more of the population (myself included since I am employed by a state-funded institution) are living off the teat of 30 percent who actually produce things.  I think that spread is going to continue to widen until we meet critical mass as described in Atlas Shrugged.  Whether that happens in my lifetime, I cannot say.

It is a very sad day.  The only silver lining for me is that the people who are getting royally screwed here are the Millennials who elected this "messiah" and now must live their entire adulthoods in massive debt and mandatory financial obligations so onerous there will be no hope for the attainment of the American dream.  One can only hope these Internet-addicted airheads will one day figure out that elections have consequences.  But I fear not. 

So long as online porn and video games are cheap and accessible, Millennials will be fully satisfied with their lives.

This should be reposted in its entirety. The millennials will find out that John Lennon was actually on to something when he penned "Working Class Hero."

Atlas is shrugging today...in Greece. That is where this path leads, however, in America it will be much "grander" and just a smidge (sarcastic understatement) more violent.  There is no answer to any of our ills that will come from our politics, our political structures, our institutions or our social culture.  Nor from any "leader."  The future, for as much of it as we will see, will be one interesting, and more dangerous, mess.