Arizona Public Radio | Your Source for NPR News
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

AZ Congressional Delegation Weighing Responses to Health Care Ruling

The Supreme Court’s decision on the health care law threw many lawmakers in Washington for a loop. Now Arizona’s congressional delegation is examining how to proceed after the High Court upheld the individual mandate but limited the government’s attempt to expand Medicaid.

Republicans were optimistic the justices would rule in their favor on the individual mandate but the court deflated their hopes. Five justices ruled the individual mandate is constitutional under Congress’ power of taxation, which Arizona Republican Senator John McCain says is what he’s been saying all along.

“I know that Americans will not be happy to know that the President did not tell them the truth that they’re having a massive, massive tax increase in order to implement his proposal," McCain said. "If he told the truth before  it never would have passed.”

The justices also ruled states can reject Congress’ effort to expand Medicaid coverage. Arizona Democratic Congressman Raul Grijalva is still studying the details of the ruling, but he says Congress may have to revisit that portion of the law.

“I think that’s an area that could be problematic more so for political reasons, especially in Arizona, and I worry about that, but I sure would like the opportunity to work on how to incentivize the state’s to take the program," Grijalva said.

The House has scheduled a vote to repeal the health care law when lawmakers return from their Fourth of July break.  

 

Based on Capitol Hill, Matt Laslo is a freelance reporter who has been covering Congress, the White House and the Supreme Courtfor more than five years. While he has filed stories for more than 40 local NPR stations, his work has also appeared in The Atlantic, The Chattanooga Times Free Press, National Public Radio, The Omaha World-Herald, Pacifica Radio, Politics