Supreme began to study the constitutionality of health care reform from Obama

Washington, 26 mar ( EFE).- The Court Supreme of United States review from today and for three days the constitutionality of the President health reform Barack Obama, considered the greatest achievement of his mandate.

Is expected that the first meeting of the three planned will start at 10 a.m. local time (1400 GMT) on Monday.

Sessions of six hours a day, the nine judges of the Supreme – five of them appointed by Republican presidents and the remaining four by Democrats – consider the arguments in favour and against the so-called affordable health care Act, passed by Congress and promulgated by Obama in 2010.

26 States, most Republicans, have filed claims against the law and, in particular, its most controversial ingredient: the obligation that all people in the us have health insurance or pay a fine for not having.

For the Republicans that clause goes against the Constitution, and its objective is therefore the Supreme issue a ruling of unconstitutionality on the law or, in their absence, any of its parts.

The Government, in turn, relies on known as the Commerce clause, contained in the Constitution and that it gives Congress capacity to regulate commercial activity abroad and among the States of the country.

The dilemma is the interpretation of that clause, as opponents of reform argue that the Constitution gives Congress power to regulate trade, but not to “force” people to enter in this trade, in this case through the recruitment of health insurance.

According to the Government, the requirement of compulsory is a complement to the new mechanisms included in the legislation and create systems of affordable health insurance for the entire population.

Take forward reform, the largest health system in half a century, has been the main achievement of the mandate of Obama and seeks to extend health insurance coverage to the entire population. There are currently nearly 50 million people who have no such protection.

For the Supreme, which provides for it to give judgment on the affordable health care act in June, the case is a similar challenge to its opinion on the 2000 presidential election, which gave the victory to Republican George w. Bush against Democrat Al Gore. EFE