Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/20pdf/19-840_6jfm.pdf
Page Number: 34.0

Cite as:  593 U. S. ____ (2021) 

9 

ALITO, J., dissenting 

the  costs  of  complying  with  the  ACA’s  provisions.    So  too 
would a more modest judgment limited to only those ACA 
provisions that directly burden the States.

The standing dispute in this suit thus turns on traceabil-
ity.  See  ante,  at  14–16.    But  once  this  requirement  is 
properly understood, it is apparent that it too is met. 

Our cases explain that traceability requires “a causal con-
nection between the injury and the conduct complained of.” 
Lujan, 504 U. S., at 560 (emphasis added).  In other words, 
the injury has to be “ ‘fairly . . . trace[able] to the challenged 
action of the defendant.’ ”  Ibid. (quoting Simon v. Eastern 
Ky.  Welfare  Rights  Organization,  426  U. S.  26,  41  (1976); 
emphasis added).  We have repeatedly and consistently de-
scribed the traceability inquiry this way.  See Spokeo, 578 
U. S., at 338 (“The plaintiff must have (1) suffered an injury 
in fact, (2) that is fairly traceable to the challenged conduct
of the defendant”); Hein v. Freedom From Religion Founda-
tion, Inc., 551 U. S. 587, 598 (2007) (plurality opinion) (“A 
plaintiff must allege personal injury fairly traceable to the 
defendant’s allegedly unlawful conduct” (internal quotation
marks omitted)); DaimlerChrysler Corp. v. Cuno, 547 U. S. 
332,  342  (2006)  (“A  plaintiff  must  allege  personal  injury 
fairly traceable to the defendant’s allegedly unlawful con-
duct” (internal quotation marks omitted)); Bennett v. Spear, 
520 U. S. 154, 162 (1997) (requiring “that the injury is fairly 
traceable to the actions of the defendant” (internal quota-
tion marks omitted)); Lujan, 504 U. S., at 560 (requiring an
injury “fairly traceable to the challenged action of the de-
fendant”  (internal  quotation  marks  and  alterations  omit-
ted)); Allen v. Wright, 468 U. S. 737, 757 (1984) (requiring 
an  injury  “fairly  traceable  to  the  Government  conduct  re-
spondents challenge as unlawful”).5  Tracing injuries to par-
ticular  conduct  ensures  that  the  properly  adverse  parties 

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5 There are dozens upon dozens of examples.  Some recent cases include