Today, Attorney General Sam Olens was present as the U.S. Supreme Court heard the first of three days of oral arguments on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act. The topic of today’s argument was the federal Anti-Injunction Act and whether or not it prohibits the plaintiffs from bringing a challenge to the individual mandate at this time. Georgia, the fellow plaintiff states, and the National Federation of Independent Business contend that the individual mandate issue may be resolved now without having to await the assessment of penalties under the Act.

Attorney General Olens released the following statement on the argument: “It was an honor to attend today’s oral argument before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of all Georgia taxpayers,” said Olens. “The lawsuit brought by Georgia and 25 other states is appropriate at this time, and we need not wait until 2014 when the penalties mandated by the President’s federal healthcare plan begin to take effect. The issues at stake are too significant to delay a decision from our Nation’s highest Court.”

Click here for a transcript of today’s argument.