Topic: Commerce Clause
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Focus
The Monitor's top 11 US stories of 2012
From storms to politics, the year was a wild ride. What are the most meaningful US stories of 2012? Here's the Monitor's list, in roughly chronological order.
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Beyond Obamacare: 5 opinions on health care reform
Health care reform remains a contentious issue in the United States. The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of President Obama's health care law, the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. But some Republicans, like presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, hope to repeal the law under the next Congress. Here, writers explore five key aspects of health-care reform.
All Content
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Opinion: Obamacare faces new legal challenge: Its 'tax' still violates the Constitution
The Supreme Court saved Obamacare by deeming the law's individual mandate a 'tax.' But in that case, the law violates the Constitution's Origination Clause, which says all tax bills must originate in the House, not the Senate. Letting the law stand sets a dangerous precedent.
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Gay marriage: why corporations are coming out against DOMA
Nearly 300 US companies filed a brief on behalf of the New York woman whose challenge of DOMA has reached the Supreme Court. Why support gay marriage? For one, it's just good business.
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Opinion: Debate on gun control should ask whether Congress has power to regulate
President Obama called for more gun control in his State of the Union address last night. The effectiveness of his proposals have been the subject of heated debate. But both sides are missing the larger question: Does Congress even have the right to regulate or ban guns?
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Focus
The Monitor's top 11 US stories of 2012
From storms to politics, the year was a wild ride. What are the most meaningful US stories of 2012? Here's the Monitor's list, in roughly chronological order.
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How Ernest Hemingway's cats became a federal case (+video)
The descendants of Ernest Hemingway's cats – dozens of them – freely roam the writer's former home, now a museum. In a controversial court case, a judge says the felines must be regulated under federal law.
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Opening Ceremony London 2012: Did director take shot at US on health care?
The director of the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Games created a production for the 99 percent, it seems. For an Olympic movement that hates controversy, that is unusual.
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Questions about chief justice's health-care ruling could have lasting impact
Speculation persists over why Chief Justice John Roberts joined liberals to uphold the President Obama's signature health-care reform law, and that could affect the Supreme Court.
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Chief Justice Roberts fends off speculation about his health-care ruling
Some analysts say Chief Justice John Roberts switched sides in upholding the Affordable Care Act. He jokes that he's headed to an 'impregnable island fortress' to avoid such questions.
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Robert Reich Game changer: Justice Roberts switches teams
The Court’s majority, made possible by Chief Justice Roberts' surprise decision, has given a huge victory to the Obama administration and, arguably, the American people. The Affordable Care Act is still flawed, but it is also a milestone.
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Tax VOX Verdict’s in: SCOTUS upholds passel of health care tax provisions
The Supreme Court has ruled that Congress can require people to either have health insurance or pay a tax if they don’t. The political fate of the Affordable Care Act remains to be seen, of course, but at least we know it is constitutional.
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Economist Mom 'Tax': The dirtiest word of them all
Our favorite mother and tax expert thinks it's a tad ironic that the authors of the health care legislation worked so hard to avoid the term “tax,” yet taxing is one of the most appropriate things the government can do, and ultimately saved the act.
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How John Roberts upheld health-care law while limiting congressional power (+video)
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts was with the majority on both sides of the ruling on the health-care reform law, upholding the law while finding that Congress had overstepped its authority.
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Vox News With media flub, Obama gets 'Dewey defeats Truman' moment with health care
Initially, CNN and Fox thought the Supreme Court had struck down the individual mandate. The mix-up paved the way for a clever computer manipulation that created an instant meme.
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Mitt Romney: To get rid of 'Obamacare,' get rid of Obama
President Obama spoke soon after Mitt Romney, and took care not to 'spike the ball' after his victory in the Supreme Court. But now he's responsible for a law that gets mixed reviews in the court of public opinion.
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Obama health-care law: Supreme Court upholds it in entirety
A 5-to-4 Supreme Court majority – including Chief Justice John Roberts – determined that the Obama health-care law was authorized under Congress’s power to raise and collect taxes.
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Robert Reich The Supreme Court will uphold Obamacare. Here's why.
The Supreme Court can't let the public's already shaky opinion of it get any worse. If Obamacare isn't upheld, it's further evidence that the court decides according to partisan politics, rather than legal principle.
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Robert Reich Obamacare: a compromise on the individual mandate
Most experts think that the Supreme Court will strike down the individual mandate portion of Obamacare, leaving the rest of the law intact. But if that happens, insurance companies will claim they can't insure pre-existing conditions. Is there a compromise?
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Author of Arizona immigration law defends it in Senate hearing
In a hearing Tuesday, Sen. Charles Schumer (D) challenged Russell Pearce, champion of a controversial Arizona immigration law, to explain how racial profiling could be avoided under the statute. The US Supreme Court takes up Arizona's law on Wednesday.
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Holder answers judge, defending both judiciary and Obama health care remarks
Attorney General Eric Holder affirmed Thursday that the judiciary has power to review laws of the land, in reply to a US judge who had taken umbrage at an Obama comment questioning judicial review of his health care law. Obama's remark was consistent with that principle, Holder added.
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White House seeks to head off showdown with judges over health-care comments
An appeals court judge has given the Obama administration until Thursday noon to clarify comments made by the president about health-care reform. The judge's question: Does Obama acknowledge that federal courts can strike down federal laws?
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Obama defends his health-care law. Could this become a campaign theme?
In somewhat less combative terms than he used on Monday, Obama again asserted that his health-care law is constitutional, saying he's not spending too much time 'planning for contingencies.'
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Supreme Court health-care hearing: How bad does it look for 'Obamacare'?
Based on justices' questions in the two-hour Supreme Court health-care hearing, the fate of 'Obamacare' is in peril. Justice Kennedy expressed strong concerns about the individual mandate.
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Beyond Obamacare: 5 opinions on health care reform
Health care reform remains a contentious issue in the United States. The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of President Obama's health care law, the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. But some Republicans, like presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, hope to repeal the law under the next Congress. Here, writers explore five key aspects of health-care reform.
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Robert Reich Obama could turn a health-care loss into a win
If the Supreme Court decides the individual health-care mandate is unconstitutional, Obama's plans for reform begin to unravel. But with a little political maneuvering, he can turn such a defeat into a victory.
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Obama health care law at Supreme Court: mega case for the history books
US Supreme Court takes up the Obama health-care reform law starting Monday. The case puts the high court center stage in a constitutional showdown that could define the scope of congressional power for generations – and perhaps affect Obama's reelection prospects.
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