Idiot Scalia Zinged By Government Attorney During Oral Argument in Anti-ACA Case

Brother Benen provides the details:

During oral arguments this morning in the King v. Burwell case, Justice Antonin Scalia heard Solicitor General Don Verrilli warn of dire consequences if the Supreme Court strips millions of families of their health care insurance subsides. The Republican jurist just didn’t believe the consequences would be ignored by the people’s representatives. It led to an unintentionally amusing exchange:

     SCALIA: “What about Congress? You really think Congress is just going to sit there while all of these disastrous consequences ensue? I mean, how often have we come out with a decision such as the ­­ you know, the bankruptcy court decision? Congress adjusts, enacts a statute that takes care of the problem. It happens all the time. Why is that not going to happen here? “

     VERRILLI: “Well, this Congress?”

The room, not surprisingly, erupted in laughter. Congratulations, Congress, you’ve literally sunk to the level of a punch line.

A few days ago, I told a friend that I really hoped the anti-Obamacare lawyer would tee-up this particular argument so that the government lawyer could could hit it 300 yards down the fairway.

However, it did not occur to me that Scalia would actually suggest that Congress -- after trying to repeal Obamacare fifty-five fifty-six times -- would just simply turn around and fix the language at issue.

I thought he was smarter than that.