Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
High Court Face-Off: Today's Arguments A Rematch For Attorneys Arguing The Case
Politico: Stark Contrast: The 2 Attorneys Arguing The Obamacare Case
One attorney is known for his measured, authoritative approach, the other for a brash, confrontational style. And when the Affordable Care Act brings both of them back before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, these differences may be on display as much as their legal points. In what’s arguably the most important case of the court’s term, Michael Carvin will argue for plaintiffs seeking to upend a fundamental aspect of Obamacare, and Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr. will again defend the government. Both are hailed as brilliant litigators steeped in case law, and their first round in 2012 concluded with each man able to claim a victory of sorts. (Wheaton, 3/3)
The Washington Post: Two Sides Enter The Ring For Another Supreme Court Battle Over Health Care
Washington lawyer Michael A. Carvin will be back at the Supreme Court on Wednesday for the second great battle over the Affordable Care Act, once again facing off against a familiar adversary in Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr. With hardly a trace of deadpan, Carvin said it would be wrong to characterize the case as a rare second chance to bring down President Obama’s health-care law. “Me, personally?” he said. “I’m a libertarian. I’d get rid of three-quarters of the U.S. Code if I could.” But he added, “The ACA is the law of the land. We want it to be implemented the way Congress intended for it to be.” (Barnes, 3/3)
The New York Times: Solicitor General Will Try, Again, To Keep Health Care Law Alive
Three years ago this month, Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr. stood before the Supreme Court to defend President Obama’s health care law against a constitutional challenge that threatened to destroy its central provision. His oral argument drew harsh reviews, but in the end he managed to persuade five justices to accept his backup argument, saving the law. Mr. Verrilli will return to the lectern on Wednesday morning to defend the law once again, and he has reason to be nervous. (Liptak, 3/4)
The Wall Street Journal: To Kill A Health-Care Law
Attorney Michael Carvin on Wednesday will for the second time argue against the health-care law at the Supreme Court, hoping to do what opponents couldn’t do in 2012: cripple President Barack Obama ’s signature domestic achievement. Challengers to the law fell one vote short three years ago when Chief Justice John Roberts stunned fellow conservatives with a vote to uphold most of the Affordable Care Act. This time, Mr. Carvin says things should go more smoothly. (Bravin, 4/3)
The New York Times: A Supreme Court Rematch For A Lawyer Targeting The Health Care Act
In March 2012, a blunt-talking and rumpled lawyer named Michael A. Carvin told Supreme Court justices that President Obama’s health care law was an unconstitutional attempt to “regulate every activity from cradle to grave.” He lost that case — and has never quite gotten over it. (Stolberg, 3/4)
Los Angeles Times: Obamacare Case Began When Conservative Lawyer Saw Possible Flaw In Law
The case that comes before the Supreme Court on Wednesday with the potential to unravel President Obama's landmark healthcare law began in a conference room at the American Enterprise Institute, a few blocks from the White House and the K Street corridor. It was December 2010, and voters had recently elected a new crop of Republicans, many of whom had ridden to victory on their objections to Obamacare. GOP attorneys general in several states, along with a major business group, had headed to court in Florida, arguing the entire law was unconstitutional. (Savage, 3/3)
