MSNBC’s Ari Melber: John Roberts ‘Has Become Most Pivotal Legal Defender’ of ACA

MSNBC's Ari Melber: John Roberts "Has Become Most Pivotal Legal Defender Of Affordable Care Act" (RealClearPolitics)

MSNBC host and legal analyst Ari Melber called Chief Justice John Roberts the "most pivotal legal defender" of President Obama's healthcare law after it was announced the Supreme Court voted to uphold Obamacare subsidies.

ARI MELBER, MSNBC: He has become the most pivotal legal defender of the Affordable Care Act. And, again, this is what's so interesting about the Court, especially not only for Court junkies like us but for people around the country. The fact that you might think from Justice Roberts' history and from the president that appointed him, he might be skeptical of Obamacare. That may or may not be true.

The Chief Justice saying today, that does not matter, that's not what moved him in this case. What moved him was the simple question, what was this law supposed to do, fund health care or defund it? Was it supposed to fund it nationally or only in certain states? He says it's clear to him that as drafted by the Democratic majority in Congress and signed by President Obama, it was clearly dined to fund and advance health care, not yank it away.