Immigration

Supreme Court Justices Seem Unlikely To Strike Down Obamacare

Justices wrapped up the first day of arguments in a case Republicans hoped would dismantle a key component of the Affordable Care Act.

Supreme Court Justices Seem Unlikely To Strike Down Obamacare
Alex Brandon / AP
SMS

Supreme Court justices wrapped up their first day of hearing arguments in a case looking to eliminate President Barack Obama's signature health care law. 

At issue: the individual mandate. That's the provision that requires most Americans to have health insurance or face a penalty.

But the Republican-led Congress reduced that fine to $0 in 2017. 

Republicans argue that move was meant to kill the law. 

But Chief Justice John Roberts took issue with that reasoning today.

"I think it's hard for you to argue that Congress intended the entire act to fall, if a mandate were struck down when the same Congress that lowered the penalty to zero did not even try to repeal the rest of the act. I think, frankly, that they wanted the court to do that. But that's not our job."