Overnight Regulation: Justices hand down ObamaCare, housing rulings

Welcome to OVERNIGHT REGULATION, your daily rundown of news from Capitol Hill and beyond. It’s Thursday evening here in Washington. It was a busy day at the Supreme Court, and tomorrow could be another blockbuster day.

Here’s the latest…

 

THE BIG STORY

On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled on two of its more significant cases of the term, tackling President Obama’s signature healthcare law, and a housing discrimination case.

In King v Burwell, the Supreme Court affirmed that 6.4 million people can continue to receive subsidies to purchase healthcare plans.

The 6-3 decision was a crucial victory for President Obama and allows consumers in 34 states to continue to purchase health insurance on the federal exchange. http://bit.ly/1NfQFLf

And in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project Inc., the court ruled that housing discrimination cases could be based on disproportionate “adverse impact” on any group based on race, national origin, color, religion, sex, familial status or disability.

The justices aren’t done yet — they return to the bench on Friday to issue additional decisions before the term ends on Monday. 

Still ahead is a ruling same-sex marriage that could come on a date that’s particularly significant to supporters of gay rights.

The court might release its decision Friday on Obergefell v. Hodges, a case that asks whether states are required to allow marriages between two people of the same sex and whether, under the 14th Amendment, states have to recognize same-sex marriage licenses from other states.

Friday marks the two-year anniversary of the court’s decision in United States v. Windsor, a ruling that stuck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act and forced the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages.

It’s also the 12-year anniversary of the court’s ruling in Lawrence v. Texas. In that historic case, the court ruled that a Texas law, which made it a crime for two people of the same-sex to engage in certain intimate sexual conduct, was unconstitutional under the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment. http://bit.ly/1e6u9J8

 

ON TAP FOR FRIDAY

The House Armed Services’ Strategic Forces Subcommittee will hold a hearing to discuss investing in American industry to end reliance on Russian rocket engines. http://1.usa.gov/1J8ayTF

The Education Department, National advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity will meet to discuss policy recommendations to advise the Secretary in preparation for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. http://1.usa.gov/1e67w7A

The Energy Department will meet to inform the Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee of recent developments and the current status of research programs and projects pursued by the Energy Department’s Office of Nuclear Energy and receive advice and comments in return from the committee. http://1.usa.gov/1diXbEs

 

TOMORROW’S REGS TODAY

The Obama administration will publish 207 new regulations, proposed rules, notices, and other administrative actions in Friday’s edition of the Federal Register.

–The Department of Defense (DOD) will issue new acquisition regulations.

The acquisition regulations from the department’s Defense Acquisition Regulations System will address the legal costs incurred during whistleblower proceedings.

The changes go into effect immediately. http://bit.ly/1BPzM9H

–The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) will issue new requirements for Indian tribes applying for federal assistance for transportation programs.

The agency is releasing new selection criteria and application requirements.

Tribes have 60 days to submit applications. http://bit.ly/1CwNNEb

–The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will loosen road safety rules for truck drivers transporting fireworks around the country for Fourth of July celebrations.

The FMCSA will exempt about 50 truck drivers with Illumination Fireworks from certain hours of service rules that require them to take rests in between driving.

The exemptions will be in effect from June 28 through July 8. http://bit.ly/1Lsshrd

 

NEWS RIGHT NOW

ObamaCare: The Supreme Court upheld a key provision of the president’s signature healthcare law. http://bit.ly/1KctOkp

Gay marriage: The Supreme Court could rule Friday on gay marriage. http://bit.ly/1eJx3UW

51st state: Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is backing a plan to turn Washington, D.C., into the nation’s 51st state. http://bit.ly/1fGLLw5

Online gambling: Republicans are battling over competing online gambling bills. http://bit.ly/1TPGyln

Anti-gambling: While Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), both presidential candidates, are pushing to block online gambling. http://bit.ly/1GuDzWq

Housing discrimination: The Supreme Court sided with the Obama administration on housing discrimination. http://bit.ly/1Nkf177

 

BY THE NUMBERS

6.4M: Number of consumers who can continue to receive subsidies after the ObamaCare ruling

34: States affected by the ruling

  

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It is up to our country’s elected lawmakers, not to its unelected judges, to repair statutes that have unintended consequences or that do not work out in practice,” Justice Antonin Scalia in his dissent issued Thursday in the ObamaCare subsidy case.