In a stunning victory for the Obama administration, the U.S. Supreme Court on June 28 upheld the centerpiece of the nation’s new health care law — the so-called individual mandate to buy insurance — as a constitutional exercise of Congress’ taxing authority.

Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., who wrote the Court’s opinion, secured the majority on the tax issue by joining with his more liberal colleagues — justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.