Supreme Court Upholds Healthcare Law [VIDEO]

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the President Obama’s healthcare law in a 5-4 vote. The Supreme Court has found the individual mandate will be upheld as a tax.

FOX News Radio’s Jared Halpern reports from the United States Supreme Court:

The history of healthcare reform goes way back, 100 years back.  In 1912 – the year the Titanic sank – the Progressive Party and their candidate, Theodore Roosevelt, put forward a platform proposal for health insurance.

(Theodore Roosevelt) “This social security measure…”

It was the second Roosevelt, F.D.R., who pushed through Social Security, a forced-savings program that gave some money to retired people to pay for doctor visits.  An even bigger escalation happened during Lyndon Johnson’s presidency.

(Lyndon Johnson) “No longer will older Americans be denied the healing miracle of modern medicine.”

Medicare for seniors, Medicaid for low-income Americans.  Many Republicans supported these “Great Society” programs, even while they worried about the cost and the rapidly-growing role of Government in people’s lives.  But liberal Democrats, like Senator Edward Kennedy, wanted more.

(Edward Kennedy) “Decent quality healthcare…”

They wanted universal health coverage.

Bill and Hillary Clinton tried in the 1990’s, proposing a law that would require companies to provide health insurance – and people to buy it – all regulated by the government.

(Bill Clinton) “Cover the unemployed uninsured through public funds.”

Republicans mounted furious opposition:

(Ad) “Things are changing…”

Best remembered by a series of political ads featuring a fictional couple, Harry and Louise, criticizing the plan.

(Ad) “Having choices we don’t like is no choice at all.” “If they choose, we lose.”

The Clinton health plan failed.

But when George W. Bush was President, he pushed through improved health care coverage for millions of older Americans with the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.

(George W. Bush) “I believe a good health care system is one that rewards the consumer…”

Many conservatives didn’t like it.  Then, with the 2008 election:

(Barack Obama) “Change is happening in America…”

Even with the economy in a major recession, President Barack Obama pushed hard for an overhaul of Americans healthcare.

(Barack Obama) “There are now more than 30 million American citizens who can not get coverage.”

People on both sides of the argument started calling it “ObamaCare.”  Mitch McConnell and Republicans hated it.

(Mitch McConnell) “It’s the single worst piece of legislation that’s been passed in my time in the Senate.”

Despite having virtually no Republican support:

(Nancy Pelosi) “The bill is passed.”

The healthcare law passed Congress, and was signed by President Obama.

(Barack Obama) “We are done.”

“A big ‘effing deal,” is how Vice President Joe Biden described it.  The new law was designed to make health care affordable for everyone, including those with pre-existing conditions and people who change jobs.  But the plan included an “individual mandate,” requiring people to buy health insurance or face a penalty if they don’t.

(Challenge) “Using the Constitutional Commerce Clause to force people to buy a product goes beyond Congress’s enumerated powers.”

There were rulings for and against the law through the court system, until it reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

(Anthony Kennedy) “It changes the relationship of the Federal government to the individual in a very fundamental way.”

Justice Anthony Kennedy, often considered a swing vote in close cases, seemed skeptical about the government mandate, as did Chief Justice John Roberts.

(John Roberts) “So, can the government require you to buy a cellphone because that would facilitate responding when you need emergency services?”

And now, the ruling.  One of the most controversial cases, one of the most anticipated decisions in American history from the highest court in the land.

Hank Weinbloom, FOX News Radio.