Mr Obama said earlier this week that the Court would be taking an "unprecedented, extraordinary step" if it struck down the law, which forces all Americans to buy private health insurance or face fines.
He noted that its "unelected" justices, whose sceptical questioning during hearings last week led experts to predict the law was doomed, would be rejecting the will of a "democratically-elected Congress".
The remarks prompted sharp responses from critics who accused the President of ignoring 200 years of US legal precedent despite having been a constitutional law professor before entering politics.
Nikki Haley, the Governor of South Carolina – one of 27 states suing the administration over "Obamacare"– accused him of "bullying the Supreme Court".
Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, said that Mr Obama had "crossed a dangerous line" with his comments, adding: "I would suggest the president back off." » | Jon Swaine, Washington | Thursday, April 05, 2012
