Supreme Court to Rule on Obamacare and Constitution’s Commerce Clause

Dan Freedman
chron.com
March 26, 2012

The Supreme Court embarks Monday on a three-day examination of the Affordable Care Act “ObamaCare.” Supreme Court handicappers predict the justices will find a way to rule on the main constitutional question they consider on Day Two: Does the law’s health insurance mandate fall outside the Constitution’s commerce clause, which gives Congress regulatory power only when matters of interstate commerce are involved?

Important precedents in health-care case

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819): A landmark in Supreme Court jurisprudence on the power of Congress. The court ruled unanimously that Congress could establish a national bank.

Wickard v. Filburn (1942): The court unanimously ruled in favor of congressional limits on the amount of wheat a farmer could grow, even if the extra wheat was intended for the farmer’s personal use. The limit was part of a 1938 law aimed at stabilizing wheat prices.

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This article was posted: Monday, March 26, 2012 at 9:41 am

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