Monday, Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown and Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein, in a joint press conference at PrimaryOne Health in Ohio, pledged to oppose President Trump’s recent efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), nicknamed “Obamacare.”
As previously reported, the court case Texas v. Azar ruled that the ACA was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court had previously ruled that the Individual Mandate component of the law was “unconstitutional under the Interstate Commerce Clause, but could fairly be read as an exercise of Congress’ Tax Power,” but upheld the bulk of the law. From this, Texas Federal District Court Judge Reed O’Connor ruled that because the mandate was unconstitutional, the ACA is, by default, unconstitutional.
For several months, the ruling has sat pending with the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. In late March, the Department of Justice, at the behest of President Trump sent a letter to the court, stating that they agreed with the Fifth Circuit Court’s ruling and, “Because the United States is not urging that any portion of the district court’s judgment be reversed, the government intends to file a brief on the appellees’ schedule.”
Should the court affirm this ruling, the ACA could be overturned within the year.
On August 2nd, City Attorney Klein and the City of Columbus announced that they were filing suit, along with several other cities, against the Trump Administration to “stop their deliberate efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and to force them to implement the law in good faith.” In a statement provided, following Monday’s press conference, Klein stated:
“Since we first filed our lawsuit against the Trump Administration for their premeditated and intentional sabotage of the Affordable Care Act, the resulting damage has only gotten worse…Already, more of our fellow Americans are uninsured, and millions are facing higher and higher premiums. These dire circumstances underscore how important it is that we continue to fight for quality, affordable health care for all of our neighbors.”
Senator Brown echoed her concerns, stating:
“President Trump is playing political games with Ohioans’ healthcare, and his White House is now threatening the coverage of nearly five million Ohioans with preexisting conditions…We can’t fight back without Ohioans making their voices heard and sharing their stories. That’s why all the efforts to take away these protections have failed before.”
During the press conference Monday, Brown offered mild praise for Ohio Republican Governor DeWine and Attorney General Dave Yost for their recent effort in opposing the Trump administration’s decision. On March 30th, Attorney General Yost announced that he would file an amicus brief in support of the ACA. AG Yost did state that he felt the individual mandate was unconstitutional but opposed the repeal due to concerns over its effect on the unemployed.
Brown said he believes: “Gov. DeWine and Attorney General Yost have gone halfway there…Let’s go the whole way and say, ‘Mr. President, stop doing that.'”
The court has yet to set a date for the trial.
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Andrew Shirley is a reporter at Battleground State News and The Ohio Star. Send tips to [email protected].
Photo “Press Conference at Primary One Health Ohio” by Primary One Health Ohio.
