The Virginian-Pilot
©
WASHINGTON
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's request to the U.S. Supreme Court for an expedited review of his challenge to the federal health care act will be considered by the court today.
Cuccinelli filed suit last year, moments after President Barack Obama signed the sweeping legislation in March 2010. The law seeks to extend health insurance to millions of Americans.
But Cuccinelli and others have argued that Congress exceeded its authority to regulate interstate commerce by requiring uninsured people to obtain medical coverage or face a tax penalty.
The Obama administration views the individual mandate as a cost-control measure because people without insurance receive medical care regardless of ability to pay.
Opposition to that provision is a key component of Virginia's litigation and similar lawsuits being pursued in other states.
Cuccinelli prevailed in the opening round of the legal contest last December when a federal judge ruled in favor of his argument.
The attorney general and other ranking Virginia Republicans including Gov. Bob McDonnell and U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor prefer the matter be fast-tracked through the legal system so a final decision can be reached sooner.
That course is opposed by the Obama administration, which contends there is sufficient time for the case to progress through the courts before the individual mandate takes effect in 2014.
In a brief interview Friday, Cuccinelli said he expects a decision from the high court by Monday.
The odds the court will grant his request are low, Cuccinelli conceded, but he said the strategy is worthwhile due to the gravity of the situation.
At present, the lawsuit is on appeal in the federal court system. The next hearing is set for May 10.
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babies
some say if you cant feed em, dont breed em. I think that love should allow all adoptions and kids need stable families and proper diets. Racism should not be a factor. ever.
healthcare
Not everyone agrees, but here is the bottom line. If we could get these women spitting baby after baby out, these sorry men who won't work and helping have these babies out of these programs such a medicaid, social security and medicare it is untelling how many billions of dollars that could be saved. Also the illegals that come in this country who are on welfare. These entitlement programs were never designed to handle these types of people who now use them as a way of life. There are jobs out there if the sorry individuals had the initiative to work just like many americans. As a tax payer I am fed up with having to take care of those who choose to sit on their duffs and drain the system and a government who promotes this way of life!
Gaming the system
I agree that there are many people out there who are using the system unethically, and probably illegally. However, too many people lump those in with the others who HAVE worked and contributed to the system and are now collecting the benefits earned and promised. It is difficult to indicate by a mere thumbs-up or -down that you are agreeing with the poster, and indicating that the idea being posted about is disliked at the same time.
One clickers
When you get those thumbs by people who are apparently not literate enough to comment, you know it is coming from the "We love Obama 'cause he gives us money from his stash" crew.
yup
That's generally how I interpret it.
healthcare
heres the problem with health care. If our gov. would restrict activity of lobyist and special interest groups on both side of the aisle then health care could be affordable for the people. As far as free health care; well we already have that just look at medicade and medicare. The problem with those entitlements are we have a certain group of people who have now made living off these programs as well as soc. sec. a way of life, that is why the systems are drained causing burdens for the elderly and those who really need it. This issue needs to be addressed in a very aggressive approach! it is called welfare reform. I wonder how many billions could be saved by not just giving these resources away to the people are lazy and just won't work.
Certain group of people?
Everyone over the age of 65 is eligible for Social Security and Medicare, not just the lazy and unemployed, and we all pay into the system throughout our working lives. I assume that when you reach age 65 you'll refuse both benefits and fend for yourself by buying medical insurance on the private market and relying on your savings to live from day to day. You wouldn't want to aid and abet socialism. And without Medicaid where would those who are too disabled to work find health insurance? Don't know? Didn't think so.
You know who is being discussed
... and it not about me who worked 50 years and now has no remorse about drawing my SS. It is about the ones who spent their entire life having done nothing worthwhile, just bleed people like me and are teaching their children and grandchildren to do the same.
Preventive Medicine
They want this "fast-tracked" so they can get it before the court while the court is still GOP leaning. (See "Citizens United" ruling) Maybe they're afraid that another justice will die or resign, and President Obama will appoint someone who can be fair, instead of biased. (Of course, that argument will be used either way, depending on the commenter's direction of tilt.)
Or perhaps they would like
Or perhaps they would like to know if it is constitutional or not before the government spends hundreds of millions of $$'s implementing it.
Perhaps you think it would be a better idea to spend huge amounts of money and time on implementation, all the while knowing you could be ordered to dismantle the newly constructed and expensive system?