Excerpt
SUMMARY: Despite the government shutdown, the Supreme Court reopened on time ready to hear cases that revisit issues of campaign contributions, abortion and prayer in government. Marcia Coyle of The National Law Journal joins Ray Suarez to preview the high court's fall session and which cases may still make it on the docket.
RAY SUAREZ (Newshour): There isn't one single blockbuster case on the docket, as in recent Supreme Court terms, but the high court will consider a number of weighty issues. The nine justices will hear cases dealing with campaign finance, abortion, prayer in government, presidential power, affirmative action, and housing discrimination.
Our guide for the term will be, as always, Marcia Coyle of The National Law Journal. She joins us now.
And before we get to the nitty-gritty, why didn't the Supreme Court shut down?
MARCIA COYLE, The National Law Journal: Well, our federal courts, including the Supreme Court, are dependent on congressional appropriations to operate. The Supreme Court says it can continue to operate at least through the end of this week, when it will then stop and evaluate.
Federal courts have a small source of independent money, usually from fines. But it's not going to be enough to carry it through a long-term shutdown. But the court has operated in prior shutdowns and even when blizzards have shut down Washington, D.C. I think there's a quiet sense of pride that it continues to do its work and to do it on time.
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