In a March 25 court filing, the Department of Justice said it supports a judge's ruling that the entire Affordable Care Act should be invalidated, according to CNN.
Five things to know:
1. In December, a federal judge in Texas held that the ACA is unconstitutional. He sided with the Republican-led states that brought the lawsuit, Texas v. United States, calling for the entire ACA to be struck down because Congress eliminated the healthcare law's individual insurance mandate penalty.
2. The case is now pending in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. In a filing with the appellate court on March 25, the Justice Department said it supports the federal judge's ruling that invalidated the ACA.
3. "The Department of Justice has determined that the district court's judgment should be affirmed," lawyers for the Justice Department wrote to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, according to Politico. "[T]he United States is not urging that any portion of the district court's judgment be reversed."
4. The filing signals a major shift in the Justice Department's position. When Jeff Sessions was attorney general, the administration argued only certain parts of the ACA, like protections for people with pre-existing conditions, should be struck down, but the rest of the law could stand, according to CNN.
5. A coalition of Democratic-led states is challenging the Texas ruling. Regardless of the outcome, the 5th Circuit's ruling is likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court, according to Politico.
Access the full CNN article here.
Access the full Politico article here.
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