Scalise Statement on King v. Burwell

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) today issued the following statement after attending the oral arguments in King v. Burwell at the United States Supreme Court.

“Today, I had the honor of attending the Supreme Court’s oral arguments in the Obamacare case, King v. Burwell. The plaintiffs made very strong arguments that exposed how the IRS ignored the clear and plain meaning of the law and exceeded their legal authority. The IRS usurped Congress’s authority to write laws and appropriate taxpayer money. Regardless of how people feel about Obamacare, and I stand in strong opposition to that law, no one wants to give the IRS the power to write laws. The Court has the authority to stop this latest power grab by the Obama Administration.

“If the Court rules against the IRS, thereby upholding the separation of powers and the authority of Congress to write laws, Republicans will be ready to pass an alternative response to the Court’s action that puts patients back in charge of their health care decisions and gives them better options than President Obama’s failed law. The Court’s decision to uphold the law will also mean a chance for a better health care system for all Americans.”