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photo credit: leoncillo sabinoSorry, Mr. Wickard
This week in U.S. District Court, Judge Henry Hudson struck down the individual mandate provision of ObamaCare in Virginia v. Sebelius. Cato Senior Fellow in Constitutional Studies Ilya Shapiro, editor of the Cato Supreme Court Review, praised the ruling on CNN.com:
Today is a good day for liberty. By striking down the unprecedented requirement that Americans buy health insurance — the “individual mandate” — Judge Henry Hudson vindicated the idea that ours is a government of delegated and enumerated, and thus limited, powers.
Cato Director of Health Policy Studies Michael F. Cannon acknowledged that the ruling could pave the way for a legal takedown of the entire law on the Cato@Liberty blog:
The centerpiece of ObamaCare is a three-legged stool, comprised of the individual mandate, the government price controls that compress health insurance premiums, and the massive new subsidies to help Americans comply with the mandate. Knock out any of those three legs, and whole endeavor falls.
Finally, Cato Vice President for Legal Affairs Roger Pilon reminded us that, for now, the Tenth Amendment (which Cato Founder and President Ed Crane calls “The Constitution for Dummies”) is working as intended:
There will be more litigation on these issues, of course, but for today, at least, the Tenth Amendment and the limited government it implies are alive and well.
The Cato Institute filed two amicus curiae briefs in Virginia v. Sebelius (“Supporting Plaintiff’s Opposition to Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss,” June 17, 2010, and “Supporting Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment and Opposing Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment,” October 1, 2010).
To learn more about market-based solutions to reforming our health care system, don’t miss Cato Adjunct Scholar David A. Hyman’s “In Medicine, Money Matters,” a piece in the new Winter 2010 edition of Cato’s Regulation Magazine examining the role of misplaced incentives in shaping our broken health care system.
Politicians’ Top 10 Promises Gone Wrong
Tune in to FOX News Channel** tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern to catch Cato Executive Vice President David Boaz and Director of Health Policy Studies Michael F. Cannon as they discuss some of the greatest policy failures in recent years with FOX Business Network host John Stossel. Some of the topics include:
- Cash for Clunkers
- Saving farmers and the environment through the tax code
- Credit card reform
- Home ownership for all
Be sure to use the #10Promises hashtag on Twitter during the program to join and follow the conversation.
Also tonight, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, Cato Senior Fellow in Constitutional Studies Ilya Shapiro will appear on CNN’s Parker-Spitzer show to discuss legal challenges to ObamaCare.
And just to take full control of your Friday evening, David Boaz will be on the national radio show “The Jim Bohannon Show” from 10 p.m. to midnight Eastern tonight, discussing the year in review.
** Note that while John Stossel’s programs normally air on the FOX Business Network, this feature program will appear on the FOX News Channel.
Freedom of the Press (As Long As We Like the Press?)
In a Washington Examiner column this week, Cato Vice President Gene Healy dressed down recent calls by public figures to prosecute WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for treason and espionage:
In 1971′s New York Times v. United States, the Supreme Court rebuffed the Nixon administration’s attempt to stop the paper from publishing classified documents showing that the government had lied America into the Vietnam War. WikiLeaks stands in the same position as the “gray lady” in New York Times v. United States, and since that case, the Congressional Research Service reports, no “publisher of information obtained through unauthorized disclosure by a government employee has been prosecuted for publishing it.” “First Amendment implications” would likely “make such a prosecution difficult.”
In case you missed it, see also Cato Director of Information Policy Studies Jim Harper’s “It’s a WikiLeaks World, Get Used to It” and Cato Legal Policy Analyst David Rittgers’ “Collateral Murder, Indeed.”
Sharing the Gift of Liberty
Have you visited the new Cato online store? It’s a great place to find last-minute holiday gifts and stocking stuffers like critically acclaimed books, Cato apparel by Land’s End, and much more. Treat your family and friends with our 10-for-$10 special on the Cato Pocket Constitution (a great stocking stuffer, carried by members of Congress and the media). You can save 35% on all book purchases by becoming a Cato Sponsor today. If you’re not a Sponsor already, don’t worry—we can take care of that when you check out.
If you’re looking for a gift that will last a lifetime, we encourage you to share the gift of liberty with future generations by making a 100% tax-deductible contribution to Liberating the Future, a $50 million capital campaign that will fund our ongoing facility expansion, the addition of over 50 new full time research and support staff, and an array of new publications, programs, and events. See this 13-page brochure for more details, included special giving/naming options, and contact Lesley Albanese (202-789-5223) or Yana Vinnikov (202-218-4617) to make your gift before the tax year ends in just two short weeks.
Cato Quick Hits
- VIDEO: Were the effects of monetary policy on the financial crisis overstated? Watch University of Maryland economics professor Carmen Reinhart addressing Cato’s recent Monetary Policy Conference on the topic, and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive video updates by email or RSS.
- PODCAST: While ObamaCare suffered a blow in the courts this week, there’s still plenty more “hope and change” coming down the pike in 2011. Cato Director of Health Policy Studies Michael F. Cannon sits down with Caleb Brown to discuss what’s on the way for Americans. Subscribe to the Cato Daily Podcast in iTunes so you don’t miss an episode.
- CATO UNBOUND: This month at our digital political theory roundtable (edited by Cato Research Fellow Jason Kuznicki), Cato Adjunct Scholar and George Mason University professor of economics Daniel B. Klein, American University professor of international economics Matthias Matthijs, Santa Clara University law professor David D. Friedman, and George Mason University law professor Ilya Somin discuss the origin and nature of property rights in “Property Rights in Social Democracy.”
