Congressional Digest

Archive: 2012 March

    Health Care Reform on Trial – Day 3

The Supreme Court wrapped up its third and final day of oral arguments on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act today, as it considered two distinct questions. The first case dealt with how much of the reform law should survive if the Court strikes down the mandate that most Americans must buy health insurance or pay a penalty. Lawyers for the opponents of the law argued that the entire Act must be thrown out. The Obama Administration position is that the prohibition against insurers discriminating against those with pre-existing conditions, as well as insurance rate controls, would be invalidated….

    Supreme Court Finishes Day 2 of Health Care Challenges

The U.S. Supreme Court has wrapped up two hours of oral arguments on the constitutionality of a key provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the mandate that most Americans must purchase health insurance or pay a penalty. Early analysis is that it was a hard day for Obama Administration Solicitor General Donald Verrilli and proponents of the health care reform law, as conservative justices expressed skepticism about legal justification for the law. Predicting the outcome of cases based on oral arguments, however, is usually a risky game. Today is just the beginning of a long internal debate…

    Health Care Reform Before the Court – Day 1

On Monday, the Supreme Court heard the first round of oral arguments for cases challenging the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s signature health care reform legislation. In a way, it was an appetizer before the judicial main course that will be served up the following two days, as the nine justices spent 89 minutes considering whether they should even be considering this case right now at all. At the center of Monday’s discussion was a 19th century law called the Anti-Injunction Act, which prohibits challenges to tax laws until they take effect. The question…

    UN Security Council Passes New Syria Resolution

March 22, 2012
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On March 21, the UN Security Council unanimously voted to issue a presidential statement calling on the Syrian government and opposition forces to cease hostilities and implement a peace plan proposed by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Annan, who is currently serving as the joint special envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian Crisis, first presented his proposal during a visit to Damascus, Syria, earlier in March. It is comprised of six points: Syria commits to working with Annan to address the legitimate “aspirations and concerns” of the Syrian people. Syria stops fighting…

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