Solicitor General Don Verrilli’s argument before the Supreme Court that the health care mandate was, in fact, a tax for constitutional purposes, was key to Chief Justice Robert’s decision to uphold the law. But, according to the LA Times, top government lawyers objected to Verrilli’s plan initially, fearing that any talk of a tax would unnerve conservative Republican-appointed justices. Fortunately for the White House, Verrilli won the argument and offered up a detailed defense of the law based on Congress’s power to impose taxes.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=157741