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Conference

Pruitt, Halbig, King & Indiana: Is ObamaCare Once Again Headed to the Supreme Court?

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Date and Time
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Location
Hayek Auditorium
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Featuring
Featuring Scott Pruitt, Oklahoma Attorney General; Greg Zoeller, Indiana Attorney General; Robert Barnes, The Washington Post; Jonathan Adler, Case Western Reserve University School of Law; David Ziff, University of Washington School of Law; Brianne Gorod, Constitutional Accountability Center; James Blumstein, Vanderbilt University; Michael F. Cannon, Cato Institute; Len Nichols, George Mason University; Tom Miller, American Enterprise Institute; Robert Laszewski, Health Policy and Strategy Associates, LLC; and Lori Montgomery, The Washington Post.

In Pruitt v. Burwell and Halbig v. Burwell, federal courts have ruled that the Internal Revenue Service is misinterpreting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, unlawfully paying billions of dollars to private health insurance companies, and unlawfully subjecting more than 50 million individuals and employers to the Act’s individual and employer mandates. In King v. Burwell, another federal court found the IRS’s interpretation is permissible. A fourth lawsuit, Indiana v. IRS, is due a ruling at any time.

While these cases attempt to uphold the ACA by challenging the Obama administration’s interpretation, supporters and critics agree they could have as large an impact on the law as any constitutional challenge. Is the IRS acting within the confines of the law? Is the ACA unworkable as written? Is it inevitable that the Supreme Court will hear one of these cases, or a similar challenge yet to be filed? What is the impact of the IRS’s (mis)interpretation? What impact would a ruling for the plaintiffs have on the health care sector and the ACA? Leading experts, including the attorneys general behind Pruitt v. Burwell and Indiana v. IRS, will discuss these and other dimensions of this litigation.

9:00 – 9:30 a.m. Opening Keynote Address

Greg Zoeller
Indiana Attorney General
9:30 – 11:00 a.m. Panel 1: What Is the Law, and on Which Side Is the IRS?

Moderator: Robert Barnes
The Washington Post

Jonathan Adler
Case Western Reserve University School of Law

David Ziff
University of Washington School of Law

Brianne Gorod
Constitutional Accountability Center

James Blumstein
Vanderbilt University
11:00 – 11:15 a.m. Break
11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. Panel 2: What Do the “Halbig” Cases Mean for Health Care Reform?

Moderator: Lori Montgomery
The Washington Post

Michael F. Cannon
Cato Institute

Len Nichols
George Mason University

Tom Miller
American Enterprise Institute

Robert Laszewski
Health Policy and Strategy Associates, LLC
12:45 – 1:00 p.m. Break
1:00 – 1:30 p.m. Keynote Address

Scott Pruitt
Oklahoma Attorney General
1:30 p.m. Luncheon