Georgetown Law School
Professor of Constitutional Law at Georgetown University and Director of the Georgetown Center for the Constitution
PROFILE
Randy Barnett
Guest
FROM Randy Barnett
To the Point
The US Supreme Court: Politics or the Rule of Law? This month, the US Supreme Court is expected to decide cases on the limits of speech during abortion protests, organized labor and when police can search your cell phone. Those are cases with important potential consequences for many Americans. They'll be decided by a Court more divided than ever between Democrats and Republicans. Even Justice Stephen Breyer has worried aloud that he and his colleagues are now viewed as "junior varsity politicians." Rulings are supposed to be based on the Constitution and acts of Congress. They can affect the lives of many Americas now and for years to come. Is the Court led by Chief Justice John Roberts pursuing its own agenda? What would that mean for confidence in democracy and the rule of law?
Which Way, L.A.?
Healthcare: The Law and the Politics The US Supreme Court has upheld President Obama's Affordable Care Act , a short-term victory with long-term consequences for health care, the powers of Congress and the presidential campaign.
To the Point
Healthcare: The Law and the Politics The US Supreme Court has found the Affordable Care Act constitutional , a major victory for President Obama . The decision was written by Chief Justice John Roberts, who sided with four liberal colleagues against conservatives, splitting the court five to four. The "mandate" requiring all Americans to buy health insurance was upheld — but the majority called it a "tax" — and that gave Mitt Romney an opening. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said today he'll introduce a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act when Congress returns to Washington. We hear about today's opinion, and what it could mean for the availability of healthcare, the presidential campaign and the powers of Congress.
Recommended
Left, Right & Center
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
To the Point
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.
To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
To the Point
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.