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Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt on the Supreme Court hearing arguments on the health-care law.
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Supreme Court wrapped up its final day of arguments in the health care if he's just moments ago in Kansas attorney general Derek Schmidt sat in on the hearing and he joins us now from the steps of the Supreme Court let me ask you Garrett.
How did -- go inside a bit in your opinion.
Mr.
-- I think it went very well you know the court granted an extraordinary six hours of argument over the last three days on this case and apparently that wasn't enough that went when eight point five minutes long today.
Because the justices were so engaged especially in the Medicaid expansion argument so.
We felt good about it the -- clearly divided and we're looking forward of the opinion.
We don't do you and 26 states in general are are I have a lot of different challenges to obamacare is specifically the Medicaid extension here.
And the flip side being the administration's point against any.
Increase in and Medicaid costs for the states is it at -- -- and leave that Medicaid if they wish is that not enough of this solution.
For you.
Well you know that was a big part of the argument today and I think our -- an extraordinary job of making the point that the fact that there is a choice on Paper doesn't mean that there's a -- and reality.
The reality that we all know and except there's no state is going to withdraw from the Medicaid program and that's not just us saying that it was clear that congress expected that.
That's what they chose this tool because they -- with -- is not an option.
And therefore expansion was going to be the result there was an effort essentially to commandeer state treasuries in pursuit of a federal goal and we think it crosses the constitutional line the -- -- -- tells -- line been crossed.
Mr.
Schmidt.
The first day -- felt like about opponents of the law.
You know they were pretty excited even gloating if you will yesterday it felt like people who would like to see obamacare -- in place through extraordinarily disappointed.
You talked about how much longer -- today that you feel like there was some sort of a desperation.
Attempt within a Supreme Court to keep this thing alive.
-- I'm not sure I'd call it desperation I think what's at play here is that this court understands the weight of this moment.
They're not taken saying that years down the road we're going to look back on this week and whatever the decision is we're going to say that as a week that changed America.
It was either the week that allowed unfettered expansion of federal power or was a week for the court for the first time in eighty years finally said enough is enough and I think the court understands that.
That's why they're so engaged so is that why you've written that you think this is as important as brown vs the board of educational Miranda vs Arizona.
My point in that was not so much that it's as important as it was comparing the -- allocation of time in those cases with time in these cases.
Which tends to be an indication that the court believe it's incredibly important.
-- I but I do believe I do believe this is a fundamental case for the future of American federalism.
Very quickly we're gonna get a verdict in June and June reading of the body language reading of what the justices cents today and they said today in the last few days how confident are you.
There we're gonna -- S striking down -- obamacare.
You know I'm not gonna give your handicap number but I will tell you this with a lot of confidence I feel better that the states are going to prevail today that I did -- these arguments began.
And there are 26 states that are in opposition right align with you -- snake Kansas attorney general thank you by the way.
