Today is the deadline for proponents and critics of the Affordable Care Act to submit their friend-of-the court briefs in the multi-state Florida-led case that’s challenging the constitutionality of the law’s individual mandate and Medicaid expansion. In October, U.S. District Court Judge Roger Vinson dismissed three of the Plaintiff’s claims, but allowed their challenge to the law’s minimum coverage provision and a separate complaint about the law’s Medicaid expansion provision to move forward.
Hearings in the case will begin on December 16th, but a comparison of the different groups that have submitted amicus briefs is telling. While health advocacy groups, disease-specific organizations, and health care providers are standing on the side of reform, the anti-reform column is dominated by politicians and at least two potential GOP presidential contenders (Pawlenty and Thune). In fact, supporters of the multi-state challenge were unable to attract a single health care organization to join in their effort:
Support ACA in Multi-State Challenge Oppose ACA in Multi-State Challenge– 75 state legislators who have signed on to the brief from 27 states in support of expanding coverage. Read the motion to file HERE.
– 35 economists, including 3 Nobel laurates. Read it HERE.
– 22 health care advocacy groups: American Academy of Pediatrics, AARP, American Public Health Association, Children’s Dental Health Project, Families USA, Florida Advocacy Center for People with Disabilities, Florida Pediatric Society/Florida Center of the American Pediatrics, Florida Alliance For Retired Americans, Florida Community Health Action Information Network, Gray Panthers, Human Services Coalition of Dade County, Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Nami Florida, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, National Disability Rights Network, National Health Law Program, National Partnership for Women and Families, Service Employees International Union Healthcare Florida Local 1991, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, Voices for America’s Children. Read it HERE.
– 13 non-profit health organizations: American Association of People with Disabilities, The ARC of the United States, Breast Cancer Action, The Family Violence Prevention Fund, Friends of Cancer Research, The March of Dimes Foundation, Mental Health America, National Breast Cancer Coalition, The National Organization For Rare Disorders, The National Senior Citizens Law Center, The National Women’s Law Center, The National Women’s Health Network, The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. Read it HERE.
– 6 hospital associations: American Hospital Association, Federation of American Hospitals, National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, National Association of Children’s Hospitals, Catholic Health Association of the United States, and Association of American Medical Colleges. Read it HERE.
– American Nurses Association. Read the motion to file HERE. Read the brief HERE.
– 4 governors: Govs. Chris Gregoire (D-WA), Jennifer Granholm (D-MI), Bill Ritter (D-CO), Ed Rendell (D-PA).
– 3 states: Oregon, Iowa, and Vermont.
– Small Business Majority, an small-business advocacy organization.
– Young Invincibles, an advocacy organization on behalf of young people. Read it HERE.
– 63 members of Congress, the American Center for Law and Justice, and the Constitutional Committee to Challenge the President and Congress on Health Care: Reps. Paul Broun (R-GA), Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Todd Akin (R-MO), Rodney Alexander (R-LA), Rob Bishop (R-UT), Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Spencer Bachus (R-AL), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Michael Burgess (R-TX), Dan Burton (R-IN), Eric Cantor (R-VA), Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Mike Conaway (R-TX), Tom Cole (R-OK), Geoff Davis (R-KY), John Fleming (R-LA), Virginia Foxx (R-VA), Trent Franks (R-AZ), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Tom Graves (R-GA), Ralph Hall (R-TX), Greg Harper (R-MS), Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), Wally Herger (R-CA) Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), Walter Jones (R-NC), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Steve King (R-IA), John Kline (R-MN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Robert, Latta (R-OH), Dan Lungren (R-CA), Connie Mack (R-FL), Donald Manzullo (R-IL), Kenny Marchant (R-TX), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Garry Miller (R-CA), Jeff Miller (R-FL), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Randy Neugebauer (R-TX), Pete Olson (R-TX), Ron Paul (R-TX), Mike Pence (R-IN), Joe Pitts (R-PA), Bill Posey (R-FL), Tom Price (R-GA), George Radanovich (R-CA), Mike Rogers (R-AL), Steve Scalise (R-LA), Pete Sessions (R-TX), John Shadegg (R-AZ), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Lamar Smith (R-TN), Todd Tiahrt (R-KS), Zach Wamp (R-TN), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), and Joe Wilson (R-SC). Read the motion to participate HERE.
– 32 Republican Senators: Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), John Barrasso (R-WY), Kit Bond (R-MO), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Jim Bunning (R-KY), Richard Burr (R-NC), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Susan Collins (R-ME), Bob Corker (R-TN), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jim DeMint (R-SC), John Ensign (R-NV), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), James Inhofe (R-OK), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Mike Johanns (R-NE), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), George LeMieux (R-FL), John McCain (R-AZ), James Risch (R-ID), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Richard Shelby (R-AL), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), John Thune (R-SD), David Vitter (R-LA.) and Roger Wicker (R-MS). Read it HERE.
– House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH). Read it HERE.
– 2 governors: Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) and Donald Carcieri (R-RI). Read it HERE.
– The American Civil Rights Union.
– Family Research Council. Read the motion to participate HERE.
Joining Florida in its lawsuit are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington.
Update:
This post has is being updated as briefs become available.