As three days of Supreme Court hearings over President’s Obama’s signature health care legislation came to a close on Wednesday, the president’s supporters are now dealing with a daunting prospect: one of the defining legislative accomplishments of his tenure could be throw out.
If the justices were to strike down the legislation, the Washington Post reports, it could be a major blow to Obama’s presidency and a verdict on his leadership, a concern only furthered by the tough line of questioning by the high court this week.
Democrats are now trying to grapple with the different scenarios that could come with the ruling, which is expected in June. If the legislation is struck down, some Democrats contend it could be good for the president politically—voters might lash out at Republicans—but it could also be damaging substantively.
“This would be a great loss, obviously, to the American people,” Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., told the Post. “The status quo with respect to the health insurance system was unacceptable to the American people. This was an answer to a very real problem.”
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