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What does decision mean for Supreme Court?

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    Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales reacts

  • Duration 4:29
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We are joined by the man who helped -- Chief Justice John Roberts when we knew him as a nominee.

Alberto Gonzales also a former attorney general of the United States and of -- now at the Waller law firm general welcome to you as well.

Meg and I promise you I don't have my cell phone on a good seat -- -- -- he's ripping on you can.

OK general -- a general Gonzales let me ask you because you know to the people were watching this saying.

Thanks a lot John Roberts.

What say you.

Well -- not liked it to spend little time thinking about the opinion reading a carefully and and would like to withhold final judgment.

I've got a great deal of respect for John Roberts spent a lot of time -- him -- spent a lot of time talking with him.

About his philosophy of judging and so it.

Listen no matter who the judges and you're gonna disagree at some point now with respect to decisions by judges is just the way it is.

But I have a great deal of faith in John Roberts in the decision -- rendered today and and what's really important from my perspective is that we need to find elated to make sure that we have viable health care for affordable health care effective health care for Americans.

And and now we know that that we can that this is one avenue to get it to be affordable.

I care act if it to the political process people believe it that we had to go a different direction and we know we should do -- Talk a little bit about this commerce clause ruling to the extent -- the High Court said.

It with a majority you cannot expand the commerce clause and I just -- -- read that the viewers quote this is from Justice Roberts.

It's a little long so bear with me he writes construing the commerce -- to permit congress to regulate individuals precisely because they're doing nothing.

-- open a new and potentially vast domain to congressional authority.

Congress already possesses expansive power to regulate what people do upholding this act under the commerce clause would give congress the same license to regulate what people do not do.

The framers knew the difference between doing something and doing nothing.

They gave congress the power to regulate commerce not to -- it.

Your thoughts are.

Well I agree I agree with with with the reasoning here I must tell you are given what I know -- chief Justice Roberts.

He's very disciplined and deciding cases -- the most narrow grounds possible not reaching constitutional issues that need not be decided and so.

Again I want to withhold final judgment but that I I do kind of wonder.

Why if he makes a decision that the congress has the power to tax.

Why he has to -- that the commerce clause analysis but again.

I have a great deal of confidence in judgment and chief Justice Roberts and Arianna I want to -- that.

It's a good point because the court could have just said we -- on the taxing power.

Off you -- they didn't even have to get into the commerce clause analysis but they did and and it really ticked off some on the court including justice Ginsburg.

Who called that analysis scant sense he -- it makes it -- scant sense and is stunningly retro aggressive.

And and and she sees you know a problem in the jurisprudence -- the court is weighted out now on the congress clause in the power of congress want to ask you overall sir what.

What do you think.

In terms of the court now I ask this of the general in the Khazei.

As a political football does this does does this decision undermine the ability to use this either by the right -- the left as an election year issue.

I think.

In an election year issue.

When the stakes -- this high.

-- was gonna take advantage of anything they can use at in order to advance.

But house -- -- -- on this court now as as that as a partisan body when you've got chief Justice Roberts a conservative appointee.

Siding with the left on the Arizona immigration law and now on the president's health care law.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- This is what -- presidential elections are so important if not this case they're gonna be other cases down the road that are equally eight maybe not as important but but very important.

And and sold presidential elections are fundamentally so important because.

The press United States gets to decide who serves on the Supreme Court and is involved in making these kind of decisions that impact the lives of Americans all across this country.

For a Lago got asking the same question any any any desire to comment on what we're seeing with -- sitting attorney general and the contempt proceedings against him today.

I've got no comment either.

You know I -- to trot.

I understand the effect but -- declined sir thank you it's always a pleasure speaking with -- -- you we appreciate you being here today.

Good to be with you make -- I'd take care.