Capitol Words a project of the Sunlight Foundation

Rep. Joe Pitts

Mr. Speaker, today, the Supreme Court began its deliberations on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Clearly, with 3 days of deliberations, this is the most important case the Court has considered in decades.

I had the pleasure of being able to attend this morning's deliberations considering whether the Court should rule immediately or wait until the penalties are assessed a few years from now. Tomorrow, they will consider the heart of the matter, whether the Constitution allows the government to compel individuals to purchase health insurance--the so-called ``individual mandate.''

At this time, it is critical to remember that the Supreme Court is not the only body charged with protecting and defending the United States Constitution. This Congress, we've been working to restore rights to the American people. We have passed legislation to fully repeal this law, to eliminate many of its harmful provisions, and to defund irresponsible spending.

No matter how the Court rules, we must continue the fight to restore our constitutional liberties.