Federal court guts Obamacare

Remember when Nancy Pelosi said we had to pass Obamacare to know what’s in it?

She wasn’t joking.

Four years ago partisan Democrats rammed through the passage of Obamacare in the middle of the night. Now their recklessness has cost them.

A federal court ruled today that Obamacare federal subsidies in 36 states are illegal.

Here is the quick summary: Obamacare was established to provide subsidies (taxpayer dollars) to qualified applicants who enrolled in health care via a state exchange. Backers of Obamacare never imagined that any state (let alone 36) would refuse to set up a state exchange. After all, when has any government said no to free federal money?

But many states recognized that they would be on the hook when the federal subsidies disappeared. And so they refused to go along.

When the states began saying no, the lawless Obama administration simply flouted the law. The IRS ignored the plain text of the law and unilaterally decided that subsidies would also go to persons who signed up on exchanges established by the federal government — even though Congress never approved this option!

The federal court today rejected this lawless option, stating that the Obamacare law “unambiguously” stipulated that subsidies were to go to individuals obtaining insurance through an “exchange established by the state.”

The Court was clear: Congress makes the laws. Barack Obama does not.

If upheld on appeal, millions of Obamacare recipients would lose their taxpayer subsidy. The entire program would become unsustainable and unworkable.

While today’s verdict will likely be appealed, the future unraveling of Obamacare seems inevitable. The American people remain strongly opposed to the premium spikes, restrictions on doctors and care, and assaults on religious liberty and conscience.

But America still wants and needs real healthcare reform.

Obamacare has failed. And is now illegal.

It must be replaced with a reform solution that is both constitutional, and that provides true affordable and accessible care – especially for the most vulnerable.

Today’s court decision opens the door to a new path forward.

Catholics must help lead the way.

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