Definitely more drama today, as the Supreme Court heard 2 hours of arguments on the constitutionality of PPACA. The general opinion following arguments is that the Justices’ questions indicate they may not view the government’s position favorably. The audio and transcript from today have been posted by the Court, and analysis from Court watchers abounds, including today’s postings on the SCOTUS blog and articles in the Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press.
Tomorrow’s arguments focus on two questions: (1) whether, if the individual mandate is unconstitutional, just that portion can be severed and stricken or whether it is so entwined with the rest of PPACA that the whole Act would have to go; and (2) whether Congress can require states to expand Medicaid coverage by threatening to withhold federal Medicaid funds if they don’t.
