President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul is front and center at the U.S. Supreme Court for three days of hearings to determine the fate of a law aimed at extending health insurance to 30 million more Americans.

The justices began hearing arguments Monday in a major legal fight between the Obama administration and the 26 states challenging the largest expansion in the nation's social safety net in more than four decades.

Outside the court building Monday morning, about 80 supporters of the law walked in a circle holding signs that read, "Protect my healthcare," and chanting, "Care for you, care for me, care for every family." A half-dozen opponents shouted, "We love the Constitution!"

Also outside the court was Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, who argued his case against Oabama's health-care reform. GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney was campaigning in California.

"This is the most important issue in this election," Santorum said .

A decision is expected by late June, in the midst of a presidential election campaign in which all of Obama's Republican challengers oppose the law and promise its repeal, if the high court doesn't strike it down first.

People hoping for a glimpse of the action have waited in line all weekend for the relatively few seats open to the public. The justices allotted the case six hours of argument time, the most since the mid-1960s.

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