SCOTUS Rejects Texas-Based Attempt To Overturn Obamacare Law

DALLAS, TX — In a momentous decision, the Supreme Court today rejected an attempt led by Texas attorney general Ken Paxton to topple the Affordable Care Act — better known as Obamacare.

This latest reaffirmation, in a 7-2 ruling, allows the ACA to stand, despite its provision mandating that all Americans must buy health insurance no longer comes with a financial penalty attached.

It was loophole that some conservatives might be the silver bullet to undo Obamacare, but the court ruled that Texas, and the 17 states that joined the suit, lacked standing to proceed.

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That same loophole opened considerably wider when then-president Donald Trump signed a law in 2017 taking the penalty to zero. In turn, Texas GOP attorney general Paxton's complaint asserted that the penalty ceased being a tax once its monetary penalty was zeroed out.

Today's decision marks the third time that the SCOTUS members have upheld the constitutionality of the ACA, despite attempts in 2012 and 2015.

The ACA was the signature piece of legislation to come out of President Obama's eight years in the White House, and Republicans have mounted repeated attempts to overturn the 2010 law, but have failed in undoing its most basic tenets.

The ACA has a direct impact on the medical insurance needs of more than 23 million Americans.

According to USA Today, Associate Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the majority opinion, stating, "We do not reach these questions of the Act’s validity, however, for Texas and the other plaintiffs in this suit lack the standing necessary to raise them."

Joining Breyer were Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett. Associate Justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito contributed a dissenting opinion.

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