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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsObamacare challenge shows how willing republicans (and others) are to lay waste to Americans’ lives
from WaPo's Plum Line:
Today in a 2-1 decision a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit delivered Republicans perhaps their biggest victory yet in their ongoing legal battle to destroy the Affordable Care Act. This case is far from over it will probably be appealed to the full appeals court (where todays decision is likely to be reversed) and then to the Supreme Court. But it demonstrates just how willing Republicans are to lay waste to Americans lives if it means they can strike a blow at Barack Obama and his health law.
In some of their challenges to the ACA, there was a legitimate philosophical or practical point Republicans were making. You or I might think the idea that a mandate to carry insurance constitutes the death of liberty is ridiculous, but at least it was a substantive objection. Not so in this case, Halbig v. Burwell. Here, Republicans literally found a legislative drafting error in the ACA that they hoped could be used to deal a near-fatal blow to the law, and two Republican-appointed appeals court judges agreed with them . . .
Now pause for a moment and consider what it is Republicans are asking the courts to do here. They want millions of Americans to lose the subsidies they got this year, in many if not most cases making health insurance completely unaffordable for them, and their justification is this: We found a mistake in the law, so you people are screwed. As far as the Republicans are concerned, its like spotting that a batters toe missed second base as he was trotting around for his home run, and therefore claiming that they won the game after all.
But its not a game, its peoples lives. If they succeed at the Supreme Court, people will die . . .
As I said, this is a temporary victory for the ACAs opponents the whole D.C. Circuit court is likely to reverse this decision, though what will happen at the Supreme Court is less than clear. But when you see Republicans raising glasses of champagne to congratulate themselves on how clever they are, remember what it is theyre celebrating. It isnt that conservatism won some meaningful philosophical victory, or that theyve managed to make the country a better place. All thats happening is that they may have succeeded in taking health insurance away from millions of Americans.
read: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2014/07/22/what-todays-obamacare-ruling-reveals-about-the-gop/
gollygee
(22,336 posts)First the 47% comment, now this? They look just as mean as they are. That's not really wise, but I guess it makes elections easier for the Dems to win anyway.
But I have several friends who are really benefiting hugely - who would be in serious trouble without Obamacare, and who will be personally hurt by this. It's just plain hateful. Spite Obama by causing people measurable harm.
moondust
(19,955 posts)Funded by antidemocratic billionaires, incited by Goebbels-inspired propaganda outlets.