U.S. Department of Health and Human Services v. Florida

Linked with:

• National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius
• Florida v. Department of Health and Human Services

Docket No.	Op. Below	Argument	Opinion	Vote	Author	Term
11-398	11th Cir.	Mar 26, 2012 Tr.Aud.	Jun 28, 2012	5-4	Roberts	OT 2011

Disclosure: Goldstein and Russell, P.C. represents AARP as amicus curiae in support of the petitioners in this case.

Holding: The Anti-Injunction Act does not bar a challenge to the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act’s “individual mandate” provision, which requires virtually all Americans to obtain health insurance or pay a penalty, even though the mandate has not yet gone into effect. Although the mandate is not authorized under the Commerce Clause, it is nonetheless a valid exercise of Congress’s power under the Taxing Clause. Finally, the Medicaid expansion provision of the ACA violates the Constitution by threatening states with the loss of their existing Medicaid funding if they decline to comply with the expansion.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

• Academic highlight: Clashing perspectives in the Harvard Law Review's 2011 Supreme Court Issue (Amanda Frost)
• A giant hole in the safety net? (Lyle Denniston)
• Don't call it a mandate -- it's a tax (UPDATED) (Lyle Denniston)
• A reader's guide to health care ruling (Lyle Denniston)
• Health care: Time to sum up (Lyle Denniston)
• New plea to rule on health mandate (Lyle Denniston)
• Today’s argument in Plain English: Will the mandate squeak by? (Amy Howe)
• Is Kennedy the only possible fifth vote for the government? (Kevin Russell)
• A tale of two great arguments (Tom Goldstein)
• Argument recap: Moving on to the mandate (FINAL UPDATE) (Lyle Denniston)
• Searching for clues on the Justices’ inclinations about the constitutionality of the individual mandate (Kevin Russell)
• Anti-Injunction Act oral argument: In Plain English (Amy Howe)
• We listen to the whole AIA argument, so you don't have to (Tom Goldstein)
• Update from the oral argument (audio) (Max Mallory)
• Academic round-up (Amanda Frost)
• Argument preview: Health care, Part III -- Beyond the mandate (Lyle Denniston)
• Argument preview: Health care, Part II -- Fate of the mandate (Lyle Denniston)
• Argument preview: Health care, Part I -- The power to decide? (Lyle Denniston)
• Prompt release of health care audiotapes (Lyle Denniston)
• Challengers lose on health arguments (Lyle Denniston)
• Health care challengers' view on argument (Lyle Denniston)
• Postpone mandate test, Court urged (Lyle Denniston)
• Health care debate reopens (Lyle Denniston)
• Analysis: Health care's legal, political fate (Lyle Denniston)
• Analysis: Health care's Medicaid expansion (Lyle Denniston)
• 3 days of argument on health care (Lyle Denniston)
• Analysis: Health care's other mandate (Lyle Denniston)
• Health care schedule set (Lyle Denniston)
• Analysis: Health care's "sleeper issue" (Lyle Denniston)
• The health care grants: In Plain English (Amy Howe)
• The Court's agenda on health care (Lyle Denniston)
• Court sets 5 1/2-hour hearing on health care (FINAL) (Lyle Denniston)
• Health care: Now, it's the Court's turn (Lyle Denniston)

Briefs and Documents

• SCOTUSblog Health Care resource page
• Constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act symposium page
• Lyle Denniston’s Media Guide
• Post-decision symposium
• Decision-day coverage

From Oral Argument

• Anti-Injunction Act argument audio and transcript. SCOTUSblog’s highlights from the audio are here.
• Individual Mandate argument  audio and  transcript. SCOTUSblog’s highlights from the audio are here.

Merits Briefs for the Department of Health and Human Services  Regarding the Minimum Coverage Provision

• Brief of the Department of Health and Human Services et al. 
• Reply Brief for Department of Health and Human Services, et al.

Amicus Briefs Supporting the Department of Health and Human Services Regarding the Minimum Coverage Provision

• Brief for Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness, Inc.,
• Brief for AARP
•  Brief for American Nurses Association et al.
• Brief for the American Association of People With Disabilities et al.
• Brief for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts
• Brief for Constitutional Law and Economics Professors
• Brief for 104 Health Law Professors
• Brief for Constitutional Law Scholars 
• Brief for Child Advocacy Organizations
• Brief for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.  et al.
• Brief for the California Endowment 
• Brief for the National Women’s Law Center et al.
• Brief for Prescription Policy Choices et al.
• Brief for the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action et al.
• Brief for Health Care For All et al.
• Brief for California Public Employees Retirement System
• Brief for Law Professors Barry Friedman et al. 
• Brief for Lambda Legal Defense Fund, et al, 
• Brief for David R. Riemer and Community Advocates 
• Brief for Department of Health and Human Services et al.
• Brief for the Governor of Washington Christine Gregoire 
• Brief for the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations
• Brief for Health Care Policy History Scholars
• Brief for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid et al.
• Brief for Small Business Majority Foundation, INC and the Main Street Alliance 
• Brief for State Legislators
• Brief for the States of Maryland et al.
• Brief for Service Employees International Union and Change to Win
• Brief for Economic Scholars
• Brief for the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations

Merits Briefs for Florida et al. and the Private Respondents Regarding the Minimum Coverage Provision

• Brief for the State Respondents
• Brief for Private Respondents

Amicus Briefs Supporting Florida et al. and the Private Respondents  Regarding the Minimum Coverage Provision

• Brief for Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom
• Brief for the Cato Institute et al. 
• Brief for Association of American Physicians And Surgeons, inc., and Individual Physicians
• Brief for Judicial Watch, Inc. 
• Brief for American Catholic Lawyers Association, Inc.
• Brief for the American Center for Law and Justice et al.
• Brief for the American Legislative Exchange Council
• Brief for American College of Pediatricians et al.
• Brief for the American Civil Rights Union et al.
• Brief for Gary Lawson et al.
• Brief for the Catholic Vote and Steven J. Willis 
• Brief for Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence et al.
• Brief for Citizens and Legislators in the Fourteen Health Care Freedom States 
• Brief for Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom
• Brief for the Commonwealth of Virginia Ex Rel. Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli
• Brief for Docs4patientcare et al.
• Brief for Employer Solutions Staffing Group
• Brief for Egon Mittelmann, Esq. 
• Brief for Former U.S. Department Officials
• Brief for the Foundation for Moral Law
• Brief for HSA Coalition, Inc. and the Constitution Defense Fund
• Brief for John Boehner
• Brief for the Landmark Legal Foundation
• Brief for Liberty Legal Foundation 
• Brief for Members of the United States Senate 
• Brief for the Mountain States Legal Foundation 
• Brief for Oklahoma 
• Brief for Partnership for America 
• Brief for Project Liberty
• Brief for the Rutherford Institute 
• Brief for Senator Rand Paul
• Brief for Stephen M. Trattner 
• Brief for the Thomas More Law Center et al.
• Brief for Virginia Delegate Bob Marshall et al.
• Brief for the Washington Legal Foundation and Constitutional Law Scholars 
• Brief for Authors of Origins of The Necessary and Proper Clause  and the Independence Institute
• Brief for Economists
• Brief for the Independent Women’s Forum 
• Brief for the Institute for Justice
• Brief for the Tax Foundation
• Brief for the Missouri Attorney General
• Brief for Montana Shooting Sports Association
• Brief for the American Life League 
• Brief for the Caesar Rodney Institute
• Brief for Liberty University, Inc. et al.
• Brief for the American Life League 
• Brief for the Caesar Rodney Institute 

Amicus Briefs Supporting Neither Party

• Brief for the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati regarding minimum coverage

Merits Briefs for Court-Appointed Amicus Regarding the Anti-Injunction Act

• Brief  supporting vacatur
• Reply Brief supporting vacatur

Amicus Briefs Supporting the Court- Appointed Amicus Regarding Vacatur

• Brief for Tax Law Professors
• Brief for Mortimer Caplin and Sheldon Cohen 

Merits Briefs for the Department of Health and Human Services  Regarding the Anti-Injunction Act

• Brief for the Department of Health and Human Services et al.  
• Reply Brief for the Department of Health and Human Services et al.

Merits Briefs for Florida et al. and the Private Respondents  Regarding the Anti-Injunction Act

• Brief for the State Respondents
• Brief for Private Respondents
• Reply Brief for State Respondents

Amicus Briefs Supporting Florida et al. and the Private Respondents  Regarding the  Anti-Injunction Act

• Brief for the Liberty University, Inc. et al. 
• Brief for the Cato Institute
• Brief for the American Center for Law & Justice
• Brief for Center for the Fair Administration of Taxes 

Other Documents

• Motion of David Boyle for leave to intervene
• Motion of David Boyle for recusal of Justice Kagan and Justice Thomas (11-400, 11-393, 11-398)

Certiorari-stage documents

• Opinion below (11th Cir.)
• Petition for certiorari
• Petitioners' reply
• Amicus brief of America's Health Insurance Plans
• Amicus brief of American Hospital Association
• Amicus brief of Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America
• Amicus brief of Western Center for Journalism (forthcoming)
• Amicus brief of The California Endowment
• Brief of state respondents