Seventeen Democratic attorneys general on Thursday appealed a federal court ruling that would strike down all of Obamacare.
The attorneys general are putting the case back into the spotlight as candidates gear up for the 2020 elections. The fight is likely to continue over months or years, and it could land before the Supreme Court.
“Our goal is simple: to stand up for the law of the land — the Affordable Care Act — in order to keep healthcare affordable and accessible for millions of Americans,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “This shouldn’t be a debate; the ACA has been the law for nearly a decade and is the backbone of our healthcare system.”
The ruling will be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in New Orleans.
In December, District Court Judge Reed O’Connor in Texas sided with 20 Republican officials who said that the healthcare law must be thrown out as a result of Congress zeroing out the fine on the uninsured in the tax law.
The Trump administration sided with the GOP officials in the lawsuit, known as Texas v. Azar, but asked specifically for the rules on pre-existing illnesses to be thrown out. The federal judge, Reed O’Connor, sided with the GOP officials.
The ruling is being stayed through the appeals process, meaning that the healthcare law remains in place. The case also may make its way to the Supreme Court, which has become more conservative through President Trump’s appointments of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
While experts from both political persuasions have said they do not expect it will ultimately succeed, Democrats have signaled they intend to continue using the case as political ammunition. On Thursday House Democrats are expected to begin a process that will allow the House legal counsel to defend Obamacare, forcing Republicans to vote for or against the move.
