# Halbig v. Burwell ruling against Obamacare subsides

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halbig-v-burwell-ruling-against-obamacare-subsides/693740>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [July 22, 2014, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halbig-v-burwell-ruling-against-obamacare-subsides/693740 "2014-07-22T14:42:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 24

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**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halbig-v-burwell-ruling-against-obamacare-subsides/693740/461 "2014-11-18T15:11:12Z")

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> [@iiandyiiii](#):
>
> Boy oh boy do I wish this was the case!

That may turn out to be shortsighted.

Politics develops in strange ways, and can be hard to predict. Right now Democrats are full of confidence that there’s no way they can ever lose a presidential election ever again, but you never know. And if the Republicans happen to win the presidency in 2016, for example, they will probably keep control of the Senate as well and have all the marbles, and the Democrats will be left with just a fillibuster that they themselves weakened.

And then the shoe will be on the other foot. Obama’s power grabbing will set a precedent that be very hard to undo. Presidents of all parties like power, like anyone else. And if a policy of unilaterally deciding to not enforce laws the president doesn’t like, or redefining things to mean other things takes root, there’s no guarantee that Republican presidents won’t adopt the same approach.

At that point you may cease to wish this was the case.

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**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halbig-v-burwell-ruling-against-obamacare-subsides/693740/462 "2014-11-18T15:17:20Z")

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> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#):
>
> That may turn out to be shortsighted.
> 
> Politics develops in strange ways, and can be hard to predict. Right now Democrats are full of confidence that there’s no way they can ever lose a presidential election ever again, but you never know. And if the Republicans happen to win the presidency in 2016, for example, they will probably keep control of the Senate as well and have all the marbles, and the Democrats will be left with just a fillibuster that they themselves weakened.

In this case, it will be still be a good thing IMO that the filibuster was weakened. Stuff that the majority of legislators (and the President) support will get passed. Empty appointments will get filled. And I’m not at all certain the Democrats will win in 2016, though I’m hopeful.

> [@](#):
>
> And then the shoe will be on the other foot. Obama’s power grabbing will set a precedent that be very hard to undo.

Obama’s “power grabbing” seems to be in line with all the Presidents in my lifetime.

> [@](#):
>
> Presidents of all parties like power, like anyone else. And if a policy of unilaterally deciding to not enforce laws the president doesn’t like, or redefining things to mean other things takes root, there’s no guarantee that Republican presidents won’t adopt the same approach.
> 
> At that point you may cease to wish this was the case.

I want governing, not obstruction – that is, I want bills passed. When bills are passed, the public can get a better idea of what works and what doesn’t work. When bills are obstructed, it’s much harder for the public to figure out what policies work best.

So even if the Republicans regain the WH, I want bills passed (assuming a majority of legislators support them). This doesn’t mean I won’t oppose certain bills, but this opposition will (mostly) extend to trying to convince people (including legislators) to vote against these bills, and not trying to convince them to take extraordinary action to prevent them from passage. For the most part.

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