A New House Bill Would Force Supreme Court Justices to Use Obamacare

On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled decisively in favor of the Obama administration on King v. Burwell, protecting an essential component of the Affordable Care Act and cementing its status as a durable feature of the American social safety net. But as 6.4 million Americans were saved from losing subsidies to help cover the cost of health insurance, Obamacare's sworn opponents were filled with rage and condemned it as an act of tyranny.

Perhaps the most colorful expression of conservative fury was Justice Antonin Scalia's dissenting opinion on the case. He insisted that the majority opinion illustrated that "words no longer have meaning," and said the ACA should be renamed "SCOTUScare" to capture what he saw as the judicial activism required to uphold it.

Well thanks to a new bill in the House, SCOTUScare may very well be what he gets.

Rep. Brian Babin (R-Tx.) has proposed a law that would require Supreme Court justices and their employees to obtain their health care under Obamacare's health exchanges, according to the Hill.

"As the Supreme Court continues to ignore the letter of the law, it's important that these six [justices who voted in favor of the Obama administration] understand the full impact of their decisions on the American people," Babin said, according to the Hill. "That's why I introduced the SCOTUScare Act to require the Supreme Court and all of its employees to sign up for Obamacare."

In the Texan congressman's eyes, subjecting the robed elders of the high court to Obamacare is the only way they can truly reckon with their imprudent decision. 

"By eliminating their exemption from Obamacare, they will see firsthand what the American people are forced to live with," he said, according to the Hill.

Babin deserves points for creativity and moving beyond the standard "repeal Obamacare" line. Virtually every Republican running for the White House has pledged to repeal the law and virtually none have offered a robust alternative, with the exception of Bobby Jindal.

But Babin should also prepare for the possibility that his plan could backfire — even in its early stages, Obamacare is already working quite well. 

h/t the Hill