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, ( , -) , , , ( : , ) Virginia, South Carolina and Florida .
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GARRETT: There are three attorneys general at least Virginia, South Carolina and Florida, maybe more who will file lawsuits against this, specifically on the individual mandate, because, they say, state insurance is regulated on the state level; there is not interstate transactions of those; this violates the (U.S. Constitutions) Commerce Clause .
Evaluate based on what you discussed with (White House Counsel) Bob Bauer and others how significant a threat this is to this legislative (INAUDIBLE)&
AXELROD: Well, first of all, Major, let me say that any time a major piece of legislation is enacted, there are lawsuits that follow. So its not surprising that lawsuits are going to be filed here. Our attorneys, the Justice Department, everyone who has looked at this is very confident that this will withstand legal challenges. So, you know, we will we will engage in those in those litigations and were confident that it will turn out the right way.
GARRETT: Nothing about them suggests any weakness in the legislative approach or the ability to defend it in court?
AXELROD: You know, no. And and the thing that I find curious about it is, as we met with Republican senators over the summer and and fall and last for much of last year about this, many of them suggested the mandate as well, as a means of of getting to the comprehensive place we needed to. And so there was a bipartisan opinion that this is the way we should proceed.
But I understand politics. And now this is done and so there is this predictable reaction to it. But at the end of the day, this program is going to stand. Health reform health insurance reform is going to move forward and the American people are going to be more secure for it.
