Lawmakers debate value of cameras in the courtroom

The upcoming consideration of the health law has renewed discussion about whether cameras should be allowed in the Supreme Court.

The Hill: Dem Senator: Cameras Won't Turn Supreme Court Into 'Judge Judy'
A Democratic senator dismissed those fears Tuesday, saying cameras would not cheapen the high court's proceedings. "I'm trying to picture Ruth Bader Ginsburg turning into Judge Judy. I just don't think it's going to happen," Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said during a hearing on the subject Tuesday. The healthcare case -; which is set for nearly six hours of oral arguments over two days -; has renewed the push for cameras in the Supreme Court. Some lawmakers have called for a one-time exception to the court's policy, citing the magnitude of the case, and others have renewed their push for legislation that would make televised arguments mandatory (Baker, 12/6).

CQ HealthBeat: Court Arguments On Health Care Lawsuit Prompt Renewed Drive For TV Coverage
With Supreme Court oral arguments in a landmark legal battle over the health care law just a few months away, senators on both sides of the aisle Tuesday again urged the justices to break with longstanding traditions and televise their proceedings. Were the senators to succeed, either by a bill, a non-binding resolution or simply public pressure, it would prove a breakthrough moment for the high court. The Supreme Court would join the U.S. House and Senate and some state courts in permitting televised proceedings. A victory for supporters would top more than two decades of similar attempts to bring cameras into federal courtrooms (Norman, 12/6).

Reuters: Supreme Court Ready For TV? It's A Split Decision
Televising U.S. Supreme Court proceedings would benefit the public, some said at a Senate hearing on Tuesday, while others called the idea possibly unconstitutional and a potentially harmful influence. The question of putting cameras in America's highest court, a long-standing debate, took a new twist recently with requests to televise next year's Supreme Court arguments on President Barack Obama's sweeping healthcare overhaul law (Vicini, 12/6).