Texas ACA Ruling Shows Republicans “Hell-Bent” on Destroying ACA Through Courts

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 14, 2018 – Following today’s ruling by a federal judge in Texas that the entire Affordable Care Act is rendered unconstitutional by the removal of the individual mandate, AFJ President Nan Aron released the following statement:

“This is further proof that Republican politicians, up to and including President Trump, are hell-bent on destroying the Affordable Care Act through the courts since they have been unable to do so through legislation. The Trump Administration has already made more than ten federal judicial nominations of individuals who have expressed hostility to the ACA. One of them, Chad Readler, is the same Justice Department official who led the DOJ in its submission of a brief in the case at issue today, in which the Trump Administration argued to take away health care from more than 50 million Americans with preexisting conditions. Today’s ruling also shows us once again that judicial appointments have enormous and far-reaching consequences that last for decades; the judge who ruled in today’s case was appointed by George W. Bush — who, like Trump, sought to pack the courts with judges who would turn back the clock on rights for millions of Americans. We are deeply concerned about the future of an America in which Trump and his allies are using our courts to advance an inhumane and unpopular agenda that will do harm to so many.”