Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Democrats Blast ACA Ruling, Vow To Fight It 'Tooth And Nail'
Politico: Schumer Pushes For Senate Vote On Obamacare Case
The Senate’s top Democrat on Sunday said he plans to push for a vote to intervene in a federal court case over Obamacare after a judge in Texas last week ruled that the landmark health care law is unconstitutional. “We’re going to fight this tooth and nail,” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “And the first thing we’re going to do when we get back there in the Senate is urge, put a vote on the floor, urging an intervention in the case.” (O'Brien and Ollstein, 12/16)
The Washington Post: Federal Judge In Texas Rules Entire Obama Health-Care Law Is Unconstitutional
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who is expected to become speaker next month, issued a statement that said: “When House Democrats take the gavel, the House of Representatives will move swiftly to formally intervene in the appeals process to uphold the life-saving protections for people with pre-existing conditions and reject Republicans’ effort to destroy the Affordable Care Act.” (Goldstein, 12/14)
The Wall Street Journal: Federal Judge Rules Affordable Care Act Is Unconstitutional Without Insurance-Coverage Penalty
Friday’s decision rattled top Democratic politicians, medical groups and health-industry leaders. Some advocacy groups called on Congress to immediately pass legislation protecting coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, and the American Medical Association vowed to work with other organizations in seeking an appeal. “This is a five alarm fire—Republicans just blew up our health care system,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.) said in a statement. “The anti-health care zealots in the Republican Party are intentionally ripping health care away from the working poor, increasing costs on seniors, and making insurance harder to afford for people with preexisting conditions.” (Armour and Kendall, 12/15)
The Hill: Klobuchar Calls ObamaCare Ruling 'Absurd'
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on Sunday called it "absurd" that a Texas judge ruled that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional and called on Republicans to work with Democrats to improve the health-care law. “The ruling was absurd. [Supreme Court] Justice [John] Roberts in a conservative court has already ruled that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional," she said on CBS's "Face the Nation." (Burke, 12/16)
The Washington Post: Obama Hits Out At Republicans After Judge Rules Affordable Care Act Unconstitutional
Obama responded on Saturday by saying in a Facebook post that “Republicans will never stop trying to undo” the health-care law and urging people to continue to get covered under the ACA as the decision makes its way through the courts in what could be a prolonged appeals process. As of early Monday, his Facebook post has received more than 28,000 reactions, and has been liked more than 72,000 times since he also shared it on Twitter. The former president tried to quell any dread that the ruling could ultimately strike down the entirety of his signature health-care law, which is commonly referred to as Obamacare. (Bella, 12/17)
Bloomberg: Democrats Vow Rapid Action After Obamacare Tossed By Judge
Obamacare was struck down by a Texas federal judge in a ruling that casts uncertainty on insurance coverage for millions of U.S. residents, drawing sharp condemnation from some medical professionals and a vow for action by top Democrats. President Donald Trump termed the ruling “a big big victory by a highly respected judge” and an alternative path to the long-time Republican goal of repeal-and-replace. (Korosec and Mehrotra, 12/14)
