Late last week, a US District Court judge in Texas ruled the Affordable Care Act, AKA ‘Obamacare’ unconstitutional. Here’s why that’s awful news for Donald Trump and the GOP.
Politics
Conservative Judge Reed O’Connor did what his Republican cohorts in Congress have been itching to do for nearly a decade: put a dagger in former President Barack Obama’s signature health care act and rule Obamacare unconstitutional. However, despite the partisan decree, the ramifications from the ruling could prove to be deadly for the GOP.
Believe it or not (and regardless of Republican denouncements), Obamacare does far more than allow millions of people to get health insurance through exchanges or Medicaid expansion.
It saves senior citizens money on their Medicare coverage and prescription drugs; It allows hundreds of thousands of Americans to get free birth control, mammograms and cholesterol tests; it requires a million US restaurants to post the calorie counts of their menu items; and it permits children to stay on their parents’ health insurance plans until they turn 26.
Additionally, Obamacare prevents insurance companies from turning away and/or charging more of those with pre-existing conditions — a provision even a few Republican candidates in the recent midterms promised to defend if they were elected.
“You’d be hard pressed to find a part of the health care system that was not touched by the ACA,” said Larry Levitt, senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation, of the Affordable Care Act.
Still, Republicans have remained hell-bent on killing off Obamacare, if for no other reason than it was created by Barack Obama.
THE HISTORY
The Affordable Care Act was validated 3 separate times within the American political system. First, it was passed by 2 houses of Congress and signed into law by President Obama. Next, the Supreme Court disputed conservative legal theories and ruled that the individual mandate was a reasonable use of Congress’s authority to tax. Finally, Congress considered a repeal of the Affordable Care Act in 2017 but ultimately decided against it.
So, why is ruling Obamacare unconstitutional a horrific idea for the Republican Party?
.
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
.
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
.
Donald Trump and the Republicans have long promised that they could create something much better and “more beautiful” than Obamacare. When Trump took over The White House and Republicans cornered control of both the House and the Senate, Republicans finally had an opportunity to tell the American people about their far more “beautiful” plan. Except, they didn’t have one.
When pressed to explain specific details of what they could create better than Obama, Donald Trump hemmed while House Speaker Paul Ryan hawed. In reality, they had nothing — and they still don’t.
With Republicans still controlling The White House and the US Senate, Judge O’Connor’s ‘Obamacare unconstitutional’ ruling throws the issue of health care directly into the laps of the GOP. IF they are going to make Obamacare go away, they have to come up with a plan for those under 26, for senior citizens, and more — all in time for the 2020 election. If they can’t, Americans (who have now gotten used to having health care coverage) will make them pay at the polls.
The only problem for Republicans is, they CAN’T come up with something better. They DON’T HAVE anything better. And with control of The White House and the Senate, the problem is THEIRS to solve.
So, do not worry. Despite the judicial ruling, Obamacare is going nowhere. The Texas judge has just inadvertently forced Republicans into a corner they can’t get out of.
The plot to kill Obamacare dies again!
