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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWP: Federal judge in Texas rules entire Obama health-care law is unconstitutional
A federal judge in Texas threw a dagger into the Affordable Care Act on Friday night, ruling that the entire health-care law is unconstitutional because of a recent change in federal tax law.
The opinion by U.S. District Judge Reed OConnor overturns all of the sprawling law nationwide.
The ruling came on the eve of the deadline Saturday for Americans to sign up for coverage in the federal insurance exchange created under the law. If the ruling stands, it would create widespread disruption across the U.S. health-care system from no-charge preventive services for older Americans on Medicare to the expansion of Medicaid in most states, to the shape of the Indian Health Service in all, hundreds of provisions in the law that was a prized domestic achievement of President Barack Obama.
President Trump, who has made the dismantling of the ACA a chief goal since his campaign, swiftly tweeted his pleasure at the opinion. As I predicted all along, Obamacare has been struck down as an UNCONSTITUTIONAL disaster! the president wrote just after 9 p.m. Now Congress must pass a STRONG law that provides GREAT healthcare and protects pre-eXi sting conditions."
MORE...
https://wapo.st/2rADBh5
democratisphere
(17,235 posts)Leave it to a RW judge from Texas to try and f' things up! Ted Cruz and now this! WTF is wrong with Texas?!
JaneQPublic
(7,113 posts)But, as the article says...
"The Supreme Court upheld the law as constitutional in 2012 and 2015, though the first of those opinions struck down the ACAs provision that was to expand Medicaid nationwide, letting each state choose instead. No matter how OConnor ruled, legal experts have been forecasting that the Texas case would be appealed and could well place the law again before the high court, giving its conservative newest member, Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, a first opportunity to take part."
democratisphere
(17,235 posts)Next will be Roe v. Wade.
SWBTATTReg
(21,859 posts)will be overturned. Why would a new tax law cause existing ACA law to be all of a sudden unconstitutional? Doesn't make 1 bit of sense.
Something sounds fishy here, especially happening on a Friday nite.
Vinca
(50,170 posts)Republican judge for giving Democrats the biggest political gift of their lifetimes. It's very sad that in the meantime families will be worried to death about losing access to medical coverage.
comradebillyboy
(10,119 posts)ooky
(8,885 posts)Has to be one of the big questions on everyone's minds.
D_Master81
(1,822 posts)The constitution hasnt changed in the past few years. Wasnt this ruled on by the high court already? Now do to some tax law changes not a change to the constitution its considered unconstitutional? And they're the ones always talking about "activist judges". And when it goes to the SC this time, I have 95% confidence that it will be overturned. Trump just put 2 of the most RW judges ever put on the court, you think they wont overturn it?
Warren_Pointe
(318 posts)Took long enough.