Area veterans interested in maintaining local inpatient care have an effective advocate in the American Legion.Roberts makes health law rationale clear
Conservative commentators heavily criticized the Supreme Court’s upholding of the Affordable Care Act, with Rush Limbaugh and others castigating Chief Justice John Roberts for seeking to find some way to uphold the law.
Roberts almost acknowledged as much in his ruling – and for good reason.
Roberts explained the court’s “general reticence to invalidate the acts of the Nation’s elected leaders.”
Indeed, when it was a liberal court, conservatives frequently attacked the justices for striking down laws, thereby “overturning the will of the people.”
Roberts quoted an 1883 court ruling: “ ‘Proper respect for a co-ordinate branch of the government’ requires that we strike down an Act of Congress only if ‘the lack of constitutional authority to pass (the) act in question is clearly demonstrated.’ ”
Further, Roberts explained his view of the court’s role:
“Members of this Court are vested with the authority to interpret the law; we possess neither the expertise nor the prerogative to make policy judgments. Those decisions are entrusted to our Nation’s elected leaders, who can be thrown out of office if the people disagree with them. It is not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices.”
