It’s official: Obamacare is constitutional

After all the contentious debate, the U.S. Supreme Court has finally settled it: The federal health care law is constitutional, including the individual mandate. But the politics of the law are far from settled, as it will be a campaign issue in the coming presidential and congressional elections, and Congress is sure to continue fighting about it. Though some may have been stunned by the court’s ruling, it wasn’t a huge surprise. Two federal appeals courts had upheld the law, and past court rulings set precedents that would be difficult to ignore. What perhaps was most surprising was that the deciding vote in the court’s 5-4 decision came from Chief Justice John Roberts. Also of note: The court based its decision on Congress’ authority to tax, not on the commerce clause.