Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
On Anniversary, Chief Justice Roberts' Conservatism Questioned After Recent Court Decisions Like Health Law
The New York Times: Chief Justice John Roberts Amasses Conservative Record, And The Right’s Ire
And so the right’s case against the chief justice is thin, said Steven R. Shapiro, the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union. “The reaction is almost entirely due to the two health care decisions,” he said, “and there is nothing else in his record that should be disappointing.” In 2012, Chief Justice Roberts wrote the majority opinion rejecting a constitutional challenge to a central feature of President Obama’s health care law, the Affordable Care Act. In June, he wrote the majority opinion allowing nationwide tax subsidies under the law. Those rulings were unpopular with the right, but they do not provide much evidence that Chief Justice Roberts has turned into a liberal, said Brianne Gorod, a lawyer with the Constitutional Accountability Center, a liberal group that has issued a series of reports assessing the chief justice’s decade on the court. (Liptak, 9/28)
Los Angeles Times: Chief Justice Roberts' Record Isn't Conservative Enough For Some Activists
When a divided Supreme Court handed down six major rulings in the last week of June, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. came down firmly on the conservative side in five of them. ... as Roberts this week marks the 10th anniversary of becoming chief justice, he finds himself in the crosshairs of right-leaning pundits and GOP presidential hopefuls who brand him a disappointment and openly question his conservative credentials because of the one case of the six in which he voted with the court’s liberals. The decision marked the second time Roberts had voted to uphold President Obama’s healthcare law. ... Heading into an election year, the attacks on Roberts appear to reflect shifting views on the right about the court and the proper role for the justices. (Savage, 9/25)
The Associated Press: Justices Could Review Nonprofits' Contraceptives Objection
Religion, birth control and President Barack Obama's health care overhaul are about to collide at the Supreme Court yet again. Faith-affiliated charities, colleges and hospitals that oppose some or all contraception as immoral are battling the administration over rules that allow them to opt out of covering the contraceptives for women that are among a range of preventive services required to be in health plans at no extra cost. (9/27)
