IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

How much power does Congress have over health care?

By NBC's Katie RumerHearings on the constitutionality of President Obama’s health care law continue at the Supreme Court.

By NBC's Katie Rumer

Hearings on the constitutionality of President Obama’s health care law continue at the Supreme Court. The issue being debated today is whether or not Congress can mandate Americans to buy health insurance or instead pay a penalty fee. This question has opened a wider discussion about the reach of Congress, as some believe that this is the broadest ever attempt at defining Congress’s power. In addition, some believe that the health insurance mandate is in fact a tax, despite the fact it was not classified as such in the bill, and the Solicitor General is set to argue this point during proceedings today. Stephen Wermiel, Professor of Constitutional Law at American University, and Politico’s Josh Gerstein weighed in on these questions this morning. Hear what they had to say in the clip below.