Republicans: “At your cervix, Madame!”
Judge Reed O’Connor (appointed by Chimpy McStagger) ruled that the ACA’s individual mandate is no longer constitutional because in the Billions for Billionaires Bill they removed the tax penalty for not being insured. But instead of just voiding that bit, because he’s a Texas Republican, O’Connor ruled that the entire law is invalid.
Let the crowing begin!
As I predicted all along, Obamacare has been struck down as an UNCONSTITUTIONAL disaster! Now Congress must pass a STRONG law that provides GREAT healthcare and protects pre-existing conditions. Mitch and Nancy, get it done!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2018
Wow, but not surprisingly, ObamaCare was just ruled UNCONSTITUTIONAL by a highly respected judge in Texas. Great news for America!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2018
Of course, the Blue States are already appealing this to the next level, and this will no doubt go all the way up to the Supreme Court, where the Virgin Mayor of Keg City will probably feel honored to kill it dead, and then shoot some ‘skis to celebrate.
Aside from the legality issues, the political ramifications will be enormous. You see, the ACA has become nothing but popular over the years, and it will be noted that what killed it was Republican tax cuts and a ruling from a conservative Supreme Court to Republican President > Senate > Congress. They own this lock, stock, and barrel full of pooh-flinging monkeys.
And then, in case you might have forgotten, the Democrats have control of the House starting in January and this gives them a good opportunity to fix this thing (put back in the tax penalty?) or to start a Medicare For All replacement.
Anyway, today is the last day to enroll (maybe forever), and you really should. The more people on the ACA rolls the harder it will be for Wingnuttia to bury this. This is not an issue that they want, especially since they just campaigned on promising to keep the popular protections in place no matter what.
The recent federal court decision is still moving through the courts, and the exchanges are still open for business and we will continue with open enrollment. There is no impact to current coverage or coverage in a 2019 plan.
— Administrator Seema Verma (@SeemaCMS) December 15, 2018
Of course this was announced the day before the last minute rush.
Smells as fishy as Comey’s unprecedented announcement of an investigation of a presidential candidate two weeks before the election.
I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.
Like how chemical plants in Texas keep blowing up. Nothing to do with lax regulations. It just happens.
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Yeah, late on a Friday night too, after the mid-terms.
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And those sneaky bastards snuck in the provision that “kills” the ACA in that splendid tax-cut bill they passed, knowing it would likely sound the death knell, once they got a bucha Rethug Govs and state AGs on their side, and a Bush(W) Judge to help carry out their nefarious plan.
The “Rs” are no longer a political party – they’re a cult, with a conspiracy: a plan to kill off the Poorz as quickly and painfully as possible.
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Except this won’t just kill off the Poorz…this is cutting into their middle-class base pretty damned hard, too.
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IOW the GOP is a parasitoid organism.
A parasite that kills the host.
As opposed to the symbiont that is the DNC.
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“buncha” Rethug Govs. Gotta fix those keys that ain’t connectin’.
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Some of them are butch, though.
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#NotAllOtters
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After this, if they think the Insurance Companies are going to allow the preexisting conditions waiver to continue, they must also believe in The Ceiling Cat (and other similar Sky Kings).
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Well I’m sure they don’t believe that, but some of the people – well that’s another story. They’ll believe anything if it gives them a boner.
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Roberts will not overrule his own 2012 decision; that would make him look like an idiot. So it will most likely be a 5-4 decision to uphold the ACA assuming the King of the Kegs votes with the reactionaries
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Correct. Taking out the individual mandate undermines the proper functioning of the law, but has nothing to do with the rest of the law’s constitutionality. SCOTUS already ruled the law was constitutional after they removed disincentives for states opting out of medicare expansion, so they will overturn this wingnut judge’s ruling.
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“..where the Virgin Mayor of Keg City will probably feel honored to kill it dead, and then shoot some ‘skis to celebrate.”
Shoot? Shouldn’t that be “boof”? It’s what all the “kewl” kidz are doing….
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