Under which constitutional power afforded to Congress was Obamacare upheld as constitutional?
Asked by: Dr. Art Swaniawski IV | Last update: August 22, 2025Score: 4.1/5 (16 votes)
Under what provision was Obamacare upheld?
The Supreme Court, in an opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts, upheld by a vote of 5–4 the individual mandate to buy health insurance as a constitutional exercise of Congress's power under the Taxing and Spending Clause (taxing power).
Under what congressional power was the Affordable Care Act deemed constitutional?
Although the Supreme Court declared that the law could not have been upheld under an argument based on the regulatory power of Congress under the Commerce Clause, the Court declared that the legislatively-declared "penalty" was constitutional as a valid exercise of the Congressional power to tax, thus upholding the ...
Did the Supreme Court uphold Obamacare?
The ACA represents unique and historic legislation with broad social, economic, and political ramifications. The Supreme Court's landmark decision upholding a majority of the law will likely go down as one of the most influential decisions in American history.
What act is Obamacare under?
Signed into law on March 23rd, 2010, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is also known as healthcare reform. Healthcare reform is not health insurance. Healthcare reform is law that makes changes to the insurance system. These changes help many more people get health coverage.
Supreme Court: Affordable Care Act Constitutional Under Congress' Power to Tax
Which of the federal acts was passed by Congress to improve the quality of medical care nationwide?
The federal Healthcare Quality Improvement Act (HCQIA) This aims to improve the quality of medical care nationwide. This was passed in 1986 to provide a remedy to these problems through professional peer review actions.
How many Supreme Court justices did Obama put in?
President Barack Obama made two successful appointments to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Why does the Court overturn congressional action so rarely?
The Supreme Court rarely overturns congressional action due to its principle of judicial restraint, the checks and balances system, and the limited historical use of judicial review. This careful approach helps maintain harmony and legitimacy among the government branches.
What happened to the Obamacare mandate?
Congress eliminated the federal tax penalty for not having health insurance, effective January 1, 2019. While there is no longer a federal tax penalty for being uninsured, some states (CA, MA, NJ, and RI) and DC have enacted individual mandates and may apply a state tax penalty if you lack health coverage for the year.
How did the Supreme Court approve and define the ACA as constitutionally legal?
The Court decided that because the penalty was treated as a “tax” and Congress has a right to impose taxes, the Act was constitutional. Once this decision was made, it negated most of the other legal questions that were being raised, with one exception; federal funding of Medicaid.1.
How many times has ACA been challenged?
Since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, more than 2,000 legal challenges have been filed in state and federal courts contesting part or all of the ACA.
Which president promoted the Affordable Care Act?
President Obama promised that he would make quality, affordable health care not a privilege, but a right. After nearly 100 years of talk, and decades of trying by presidents of both parties, that's exactly what he did. Today, 20 million more adults gained access to health coverage.
When was the Affordable Care Act passed by Congress?
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and informally as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010.
Who was against the Affordable Care Act?
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed by a Democratic Congress and signed into law by a Democratic president in 2010. Republican congressmen, governors, and Republican candidates have consistently opposed the ACA and have vowed to repeal it.
Can Congress override a decision by the Supreme Court?
When the Supreme Court rules on a constitutional issue, that judgment is virtually final; its decisions can be altered only by the rarely used procedure of constitutional amendment or by a new ruling of the Court. However, when the Court interprets a statute, new legislative action can be taken.
Which president made the most total appointments to the federal courts?
Ronald Reagan appointed 383 federal judges, more than any other president. To date, Ronald Reagan has appointed the largest number of federal judges, with 383, followed closely by Bill Clinton with 378.
What is John Roberts' religion?
In 2005, John Roberts became the third Catholic Chief Justice and the fourth Catholic on the court. Shortly thereafter, Samuel Alito became the fifth on the court, and the eleventh in the history of the court. Alito's appointment gave the court a Catholic majority for the first time in its history.
Why did Obama not appoint a Supreme Court justice?
With the death of Antonin Scalia in February 2016 in the beginning of a presidential election year, the Republican majority in the Senate made it their stated policy to refuse to consider any nominee to the Supreme Court, arguing that the next president should be the one to appoint Scalia's replacement.
Who is Obama's daughter?
Malia Obama and Sasha Obama. Barack and Michelle Obama have two daughters: Malia Ann (/məˈliːə/), born July 4, 1998, and Natasha Marian (known as Sasha /ˈsɑːʃə/), born June 10, 2001.
Who actually wrote the Affordable Care Act?
The Affordable Health Care for America Act (or HR 3962) was a bill that was crafted by the United States House of Representatives of the 111th United States Congress on October 29, 2009.
What is the Obamacare individual mandate?
The individual mandate is a provision within the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that required individuals to purchase minimum essential coverage – or face a tax penalty – unless they were eligible for an exemption.