President Obama said Monday that there is little doubt the Supreme Court will rule in the administration’s favor and won’t gut a key portion of the president’s signature health care reform law.
In an interview with WCSH-TV of Portland, Maine, Mr. Obama said the case is “clear cut” and that he is confident Obamacare will survive as written.
The Supreme Court heard arguments last month in the King v. Burwell case, which hinges on whether the government legally can pay subsidies to customers in states that rely on federal health car exchanges. The law says subsidies can be paid only to customers in exchanges “established by the state.”
At least 34 states, including Maine, elected not to set up and operate their own exchanges and have been relying on the federal system.
While the Supreme Court could effectively derail Obamacare in those 34 states, the president isn’t worried.
“I am confident the Supreme Court, applying its own rules of interpreting laws, will uphold the law. It’s pretty clear cut,” Mr. Obama said.
WCSH was one of five local TV stations that were granted brief interviews with the president on Monday.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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