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Opinion
Jonathan Bernstein

Republicans and an Obamacare Apocalypse

If the Supreme Court guts Obamacare exchanges, Republicans can risk disaster by doing nothing or risk little by passing a temporary fix.
Know your base.

Know your base.

Photographer: Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call

If you liked the fiasco in the House of Representatives late Friday -- as its leaders scrambled to avoid a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security -- Republicans are setting things up for an even bigger imbroglio. This time, health care is on the line.

The Supreme Court will hold oral arguments this week on the big Obamacare case of the term, King v. Burwell. At stake: the potential collapse of the individual-insurance market in states using the federal system (Healthcare.gov) instead of setting up their own exchanges.