6 things you should read before the Supreme Court decision on Obamacare
Before tomorrow’s Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act, here are five articles (okay, four articles and two charts) worth reading about why healthcare reform happened the way it did, how the law was passed, how it became so controversial and how the Court might rule — spanning from three years ago right up to last week.
* The Cost Conundrum, New Yorker
This June 2009 Atul Gawande article is about the healthcare system in McAllen, Texas, not the health-care law. But President Obama made it required reading in the White House and cited it in a meeting with Democratic senators while gearing up for the health-care fight.
* Grassley, key Republican senator, is on the fence over health reform, Washington Post
This Washington Post story from June 2009, focused on Obama’s attempts to win over Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley) hints at the path the health-care reform debate was going. In the end, Grassley opposed the law, along with every other Republican senator.
* How They Did It, The New Republic
An insanely (and appealingly) detailed account of all the fights, setbacks, and negotiations that went on behind the scenes as Democrats worked to pass health-care reform.
* How broccoli became a symbol in the health-care debate, New York Times
A conservative meme dating back to 1992 finds its way all the way to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Just one example of how little-known actors can have a big impact through savvy use of media.
* Case precedents hint at fate of individual mandate, Bloomberg and Obama healthcare law before the Supreme Court, Washington Post
Two interactive charts: the Bloomberg chart looks at current Supreme Court Justices’ opinions on relevant case law going back to 1995, shedding a little light on how they might vote Thursday — or else how they would break with their own past. The Washington Post chart looks at how the issues in question fared in lower court rulings.
Think we missed a must-read? Tell us what it is in the comments. We’ve still got 17 hours until the ruling is expected — so we’ll add it into the post if there’s time.
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