Newswise — Sometime next week, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hand down its decision in Florida v. United States Department of Health and Human Services, a legal and political lightning rod that will determine the constitutionality of President Obama’s landmark health reform legislation, and could help decide who will occupy the White House next January.
Several Cornell University scholars – in fields ranging from constitutional law and presidential politics to how people make health care choices – are available to speak with members of the media.
Jeff Niederdeppe, a professor in the Department of Communication, researches the role of news coverage in shaping health behavior and policy. He says:
“The Affordable Care Act is much more than a health insurance mandate or an effort to reduce the cost of treating illness. It includes programs and funds designed specifically to prevent people from getting sick in the first place.
“An important but often overlooked aspect of the ACA is the establishment of a Prevention Fund to provide communities with over $16 billion over the next 10 years to implement evidence-based prevention interventions in all 50 states. The Prevention Fund has already made possible the first federally funded national media campaign to educate smokers about the harms of tobacco, remarkable since smoking is the single largest cause of preventable death in the U.S. The ACA also requires restaurant chains like McDonalds and TGI Friday's to prominently list the number of calories in every item on their menu, which would allow people to make informed decisions about their dietary choices.
“If the ACA is overturned and the Prevention Fund and labeling requirement go with it, public health in the United States will suffer.”
Other available experts include:
Elizabeth Sanders, a professor in the Department of Government, focuses her research on American political development and popular politics. Her current book in progress, “Presidents, War and Reform,” analyzes the contribution of presidents since World War II to major reform legislation in the United States. She is available to talk about the implications Florida v HHS can have for the 2012 Presidential Election.
Michael Dorf is a constitutional law expert, former law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and professor in the Law School. Note: Professor Dorf will be available to the media only after the decision is handed down.
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