对于站长来说英语学习是必不可少的
以后我会每天为大家更新 VOA的慢速英语和常速英语，供大家学习
同时也会更新BBC的听力
US Supreme Court Upholds Healthcare Law, Strikes Down Much of Immigration Law
HRISTOPHER CRUISE: Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Christopher Cruise.
Today, we will look at the recent United States Supreme Court rulings that upheld President Obama's health care law and cancelled parts of Arizona's immigration law. We also report on a case that dealt with the sentencing of murderers under the age of eighteen.
(MUSIC)
CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: In early twenty-ten, Congress approved -- and President Obama signed into law -- The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The law came to be known as "Obamacare." It is the most important legislative priority of the Obama administration. The law was written to help Americans with rising health care costs and the often serious financial problems many Americans have with health care.
Supporters of the Affordable Healthcare Act gather in front of the Supreme Court before the court's announcement of the legality of the law in Washington on June 28, 2012
In the law is what is called an "individual mandate." And, this mandate requires every American citizen to have health insurance by twenty-fourteen or face a financial penalty.
Among the law's supporters are those who believe health care is a right, not a privilege. But many are opposed to the law. In fact, twenty-six states sued to overturn it. They said the Constitution does not permit Congress to force people to buy a product they may neither want nor need.
But, public opinion studies show some parts of the law are very popular with Americans. They include requiring insurance companies to pay for preventative health care and banning limits on the amount of money insurance companies pay for care. Also popular is a ban on denying insurance for people who already have health problems. This is usually called a preexisting condition. The law also permits people to be covered by their parent's insurance until age twenty-six.
Many people on both sides of the debate were surprised when the Court upheld the law, by a vote of five to four. The decision was a major victory for the president. In the majority was Chief Justice John Roberts, a conservative who was believed to be against the individual mandate. But he joined with liberals on the Court in calling the mandate a tax. He said the Constitution and the Court's own rulings have established that Congress has the power to impose a tax.
President Obama called the ruling a victory for Americans who cannot afford health care.
PRESIDENT OBAMA:"I know there will be a lot of discussion today about the politics of all this, about who won and who lost, that's how these things tend to be viewed here in Washington. But that discussion completely misses the point. Whatever the politics, today's decision was a victory for people all over this country whose lives will be more secure because of this law and the Supreme Court's decision to uphold it."
CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Some parts of the law go into effect before the presidential election this November. Mr. Obama's expected challenger in the twenty-twelve election -- Republican Mitt Romney -- was disappointed with the ruling.
If Republicans keep control of the House and gain control of the Senate, and if Mr. Romney wins this November's election, the law could be cancelled next year.
(MUSIC)
CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Moving across America to the western state of Arizona, the Supreme Court dealt with an entirely different problem: Immigration. The Supreme Court cancelled most of a state law that affected immigrants. The court agreed with the Obama administration that immigration laws must be passed and enforced by the federal government, not by states.
The Court struck down three parts of the law, but upheld one disputed part. The Court said police officers in Arizona who have what the court called "reasonable suspicions" may check the immigration status of people who had been stopped for other reasons.
But the Court -- with a majority of five justices -- cancelled the part of the law that makes it a crime for immigrants without work permits to try to find a job. It also said it was not a crime for immigrants to not have registration documents with them. And it said police could not arrest any immigrant whom they believe could be removed from the country. Justices in the minority said all parts of the law should be upheld.
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