Democrats vowed to appeal a federal judge’s ruling that will finally undo former President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law known as Obamacare.
In a stunning victory for President Donald Trump and Republicans, a federal judge ruled late Friday that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was unconstitutional and will be abolished once and for all.
U.S. District Judge Reed O’Conner ruled late Friday that the Affordable Care Act was illegal because Congress eliminated the mandatory tax/penalty for failing to register for insurance in 2017.
But because O’Conner did not issue an injunction to immediately kill Obamacare, the law can continue to operate until his decision is appealed.
Key Democrats promised to appeal the judge’s ruling all the way to the Supreme Court where 5 of the nine justices who saved Obamacare in a 2012 case are still on the bench.
The Supreme Court thwarted challenges to the law in 2012 and again in 2015. The 5 justices who saved Obamacare both times are still on the bench. It isn’t clear if they will vote to protect Obamacare for a third time.
President Trump celebrated the judge’s ruling that will make it easier to abolish and replace Obamacare.
“It’s a great ruling for our country. We’ll be able to get great health care,” Trump told reporters on Saturday. “It was a big, big victory by a highly respected judge.”
On Friday, he tweeted: “As I predicted all along, Obamacare has been struck down as an UNCONSTITUTIONAL disaster!”
Barack Obama took to Twitter.com on Saturday to remind his followers that it was time to sign up for health insurance, and he assured his supporters that his healthcare act would “likely” survive the judge’s ruling.
