Obama issues stern language on Supreme Court health care decision

President Barack Obama on Monday issued stern language to the Supreme Court regarding his health care law, expressing confidence "Obamacare" will not be overturned by the nation's highest court.

"I'm confident this will be upheld because it should be upheld," the president said Monday afternoon at a White House press conference that included ‪Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who are attending the North American Leaders' Summit. The president said overturning the law would be "an unprecedented and extraordinary step" and compared the court's rejection of the law to "judicial activism."

"For years what we've heard is the biggest problem on the bench was judicial activism," the president said, baiting conservatives who have long complained about what they see as justices' political agendas. The president stressed that the judges are "unelected" and noted that the law was passed by a democratically elected Congress.

Monday's comments were the first public warning the president has issued since the justices heard oral arguments last week on the constitutionality of the law, which includes an individual health care mandate.

It remains to be seen how the justices will rule on the matter. On Friday, the court began deliberations, which could last through June. The ruling could significantly impact the president's re-election strategy.

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