SLATE (1/9/2012). By Simon Lazarus. Hand Wringing on Health Care. Republican appointees have concluded that upholding the ACA mandate is compelled by the text of the Commerce Clause and Supreme Court precedent, that it is no more “coercive” than other measures, such as dedicated taxes and tax write-offs undergirding major existing health-insurance laws, and, even, that the ACA’s approach could be a valuable model for conservative designs to privatize other components of the social safety net.
