国际英语新闻:US Supreme Court Questions Obama Health Care Law

As the oral arguments continued before the high court, demonstrators on both sides of the issue marched outside the court for a second day.

The case is being closely watched by members of Congress. Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, is among those hoping that the high court will strike down the Obama health care law.

“We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will see it the way we do and that this law violates simple and basic constitutional principles,” said Rubio.

Democratic Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa says millions of Americans in need of health insurance will lose out if the health care law is struck down.

“Whether or not we are going to let the Republicans take away from the American people all of these hard-earned, hard-won gains in their own health care system,” said Harkin.

The health care law has been controversial from the beginning. The law passed Congress two years ago, supported only by Democrats. And public opinion surveys show the country remains sharply divided over the issue.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling on the constitutionality of the health care law sometime before the end of June, and many experts say the decision will have an impact on this year’s presidential and congressional elections.