Jarrett Says White House Will Be Prepared If Court Strikes Health Law

Politico: Jarrett: 'We Will Be Prepared' If Health Care Law Struck Down
Valerie Jarrett wouldn't give details Saturday on the Obama administration's plans if its health care law is struck down. ... "We will be prepared," the White House senior adviser said of the pending Supreme Court ruling on the health care law, at the National Association of Black Journalists convention here. "We want to give the Supreme Court the room to make their decision." Jarrett did, though, preview a line of argument that could be used by Obama aides to counter political backlash if much of the law is overturned. "We have done a lot more than just the Affordable Care Act, it's sucked up so much of the oxygen in the press" (Buford and Epstein, 6/23).

CNN: Jarrett To NABJ: White House Bracing For Health Care Decision
As the Supreme Court prepares to make a historic ruling on the fate of President Barack Obama's health care law, his top adviser shifted attention on the rest of the White House's legislative agenda rather than the potential dismantling of its signature piece of legislation. Valerie Jarrett, Obama's senior adviser and close family friend, told a group of black journalists Saturday that the administration is prepared for the court's decision. ...  Still, she admitted that the administration was out-maneuvered by Republicans in the months following the law's passage. ... "The opponents of it out-organized – in terms of the 'death panels' -- and distorted what we were doing early on" (Monroe, 6/24).

The Hill: Healthcare Decision Leads To Defining Week For Obama, Roberts
John Roberts’ legacy as chief justice will likely be defined over the next few days as the Supreme Court will decide whether to uphold, or destroy President Obama’s signature healthcare law. One way or the other, history will be made this week for Obama’s presidency, and the Roberts court (Baker and Cusack, 6/24).

NPR: Countdown To The Supreme Court's Ruling On Health Care
How the court will settle these various legal questions is only the first uncertainty. The entire health care system, including insurance companies, is anxiously awaiting a decision that is almost certain to have fundamental ramifications for their business. Indeed, the only way the court's ruling would have no effect on the health care system would be if the law were upheld in its entirety. Even striking down just a small piece could have numerous consequences —both intended and unintended (Rovner, Tottnberg and Frick, 6/24).

Wall Street Journal: Decisions, Decisions: How High Court Could Rule On Health
The Supreme Court is ruling next week on the Obama health law. Of the many possible scenarios, here are the most likely four, shown in order of how much of the law would be struck down (Landers, 6/22).

The Washington Post: Waiting For Supreme Court Health-Care Decision: A News Release For Every Outcome
The health-care case is among the more complex that the Supreme Court has faced in its modern history. The justices heard 5 1/2 hours of oral arguments — the longest in 45 years — on four separate legal challenges to the law. The court’s decision may not be a yes-or-no verdict. Many observers expect it to fall somewhere in between, with some parts of the law upheld and others tossed out. ... Interviews with legislative staff and advocacy groups indicate that many have prepared multiple statements, ready to be blasted within moments of the Supreme Court ruling (Kliff, 6/24).

The Associated Press: Court Keeps Upcoming Health Care Decision Secret
It's the biggest secret in a city known for not keeping them. The nine Supreme Court justices and more than three dozen other people have kept quiet for more than two months about how the high court is going to rule on the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. This is information that could move markets, turn economies and greatly affect this fall's national elections. ... But unlike the Congress and the executive branch, which seem to leak information willy-nilly, the Supreme Court, from the chief justice down to the lowliest clerk, appears to truly value silence (Holland, 6/24).