Tag: GOP Attorneys General

GOP lawmakers distance themselves from ObamaCare ruling

Republicans are keeping their distance from a recent court ruling that struck down ObamaCare, as GOP lawmakers are wary of the political backlash that could ensue from scrapping the law.

Many congressional Republicans remain silent after a federal judge on Friday struck down the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. And those who have spoken out largely steered clear of embracing the decision.

The muted response illustrates how the politics of the 2010 health law have shifted, with Democrats successfully hammering Republicans during the 2018 midterms over GOP efforts to weaken the law’s pre-existing condition protections.

View the complete December 17 article by Peter Sullivan on The Hill website here.

Legal experts rip judge’s rationale for declaring Obamacare law invalid

A federal judge in Texas on Dec. 14 ruled the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, due to a recent change in federal tax law. (Reuters)

A federal judge’s ruling declaring the entire Affordable Care Act invalid came under harsh attack Saturday from legal analysts who predicted higher courts will reject the rationale as a tortured effort to rewrite not just the law but congressional history.

The ruling in Texas came on the eve of Saturday’s deadline for Americans to sign up for coverage in the federal insurance exchange created by the ACA, more commonly called Obamacare. The judge did not issue any injunction in the case, meaning that in the short term, nothing will change in health-care services or insurance while the courts consider the issue.

The 55-page ruling late Friday from U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor found the law invalid on the basis of the political and legal history of a few key provisions. O’Connor decided that once Congress repealed the tax penalty that enforced a mandate that most Americans get health insurance, the whole law became invalid.

View the complete December 15 article by Devlin Barrett on The Washington Post website here.

Ruling on Health Care Law Leaves Consumers Confused

Law remains in place for now

The most immediate impact of a ruling striking down the 2010 health care law could be confusion and depressed sign-ups in the law’s insurance marketplaces on the final day of open enrollment.

The law remains in place for now — but some consumers may not understand that.

If the federal judge’s ruling Friday night is affirmed, it could cause upheaval in the U.S. health care system. Its immediate effects are minimal, though, as the ruling is expected to be stayed as the case winds through the courts and did not come in the form of an injunction.

View the December 15 article by Mary Ellen McIntire on The Roll Call website here.

Federal judge in Texas strikes down ObamaCare

A federal judge in Texas on Friday struck down the Affordable Care Act, throwing a new round of uncertainty into the fate of the law just one day before the deadline to sign up for coverage for next year.

U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor ruled that the law’s individual mandate is unconstitutional, and that because the mandate cannot be separated from the rest of the law, the rest of the law is also invalid.

The ruling is certain to be appealed, and legal experts in both parties have said they ultimately expect the challenge to the health law will not succeed. ObamaCare will remain in effect while the case is appealed.

View the complete December 14 article by Peter Sullivan on The Hill website here.

DNC on Health Care Ruling in Texas

DNC Chair Tom Perez released the following statement after a federal judge in Texas ruled core provisions of the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional, siding with Trump and Republicans:

“Republicans are as close as they’ve ever been to destroying the Affordable Care Act and taking health care away from millions of Americans. This decision threatens the lives of so many who have benefitted from the Affordable Care Act – from people with pre-existing conditions to children who have finally gotten access to the care they deserve. It must be appealed immediately.

“This case is emblematic of the concerted effort by Republicans at every level of government – from statehouses, to Congress, to the White House. For nearly a decade now, the Republican Party has been defined by its cruel, costly, and relentless goal to take away people’s health care. They didn’t stop after the Supreme Court ruled the ACA constitutional in 2012. They didn’t stop after the American people overwhelmingly rejected their attempts to repeal the law last year. They didn’t stop when American voters across the country went to the polls last month and voted for Democrats up and down the ballot. And as today’s decision makes clear, they won’t stop until they have reached their goal of completely dismantling the ACA. Continue reading “DNC on Health Care Ruling in Texas”