C-SPAN, Sen. Grassley Seek Televised Supreme Court Argument in Health Care Case

Many states have for years permitted television coverage of court proceedings. When the Florida Supreme Court decided the fate of the election recount of the Presidential election in 2000, the arguments were broadcast, and the public left with a better understanding of how the Florida justices viewed the case. C-SPAN Chairman and CEO Brian Lamb and Senator Charles Grassley (R. Iowa) have both submitted letters to Chief Justice John Roberts asking that cameras be permitted to record the historic 5 ½   hours of oral argument on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  Not to be cynical but this is something not likely to happen.  

 Senator Grassley, who has sponsored bills to authorize broadcasting of federal court proceedings, wrote:  “[G]iven the nature of the topic, everyone in the country would benefit from following the proceedings in this threshold case. …Providing live audio and video coverage of the oral arguments will be of great benefit to the Court and to the public. Letting the world watch these historic and important proceedings will bolster confidence in our judicial system and the decisions of the Court.”

 As noted by Legal Times, among the current members of the Court, only Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan have expressed support for making video recordings of the Court’s arguments available to the public.