Federal Judge In Texas Rules Obamacare Is Unconstitutional

A U.S. District Court judge in Texas has struck down Obamacare following a lawsuit from 20 states. U.S. Supreme Court. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor ruled that the individual mandate is unconstitutional and cannot be separated from the rest of the law, making the entire law unconstitutional. 

O'Connor explained that when the law was upheld in 2012 by the Supreme Court, they ruled that the penalty for not buying health insurance was a tax, which Congress had the Constitutional authority to levy. Justice John Roberts wrote that the Commerce Clause did not grant Congress the power to force people to buy insurance, but ruled to uphold the law because he interpreted the penalty as a tax.

O'Connor said that when Congress eliminated the penalty for people who did not have insurance, they removed one of the Court's key justifications for upholding the law. 

The White House said that the law will remain in place throughout the appeals process. The ultimate fate of the law will likely rest with the Supreme Court.

President Donald Trump applauded the ruling on Twitter and called on Congress to pass a new healthcare law. 

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!

Photo: Getty Images


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