Supreme Court Upholds Health Care Mandate
By: Robert Burke
Updated: June 28, 2012
In a landmark ruling with wide-ranging implications, the Supreme Court today upheld the so-called individual mandate requiring Americans to buy health insurance or pay a penalty, the key part of President Obama's signature health care law.
The court ruled that the mandate is unconstitutional, but it can stay as part of Congress's power under a taxing clause. The court said that the government will be allowed to tax people for not having health insurance.
The high court kept the country in suspense for days, announcing at the beginning of the week that it would hand down its decision today. The ruling is a victory for the Obama administration and a defeat for Republicans, who had anticipated that at least some of the law would be struck down.
The court's ruling upholding the main part of Obama's law means that people must buy health insurance or pay a tax up to several thousand dollars a year.
Source: ABCnews
