Thom Hartmann: Can Republicans now easily repeal Obamacare?

[thomhartmann]

Over the past month, Chief Justice John Roberts may have changed his mind on Obamacare. CBS news is reporting that Roberts initially sided with the Conservatives on the court to strike down the entirety of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, before changing his mind and switching sides a few weeks ago to uphold the law. According to CBS, Roberts kept a close eye on media coverage of the court leading up to the decision - and one source close to the court suggested that Roberts may have changed his vote to keep the court’s reputation intact. But ultimately, Roberts did Conservatives a huge favor whether they realize it or not. By upholding Obamacare, Roberts kept in place the for-profit health insurance system, which could have been overturned in a few years, had the healthcare crisis in America continued without action. And - most importantly - by designating the individual mandate as a tax, Roberts gave Republicans a chance to repeal Obamacare through reconciliation - meaning Republicans would only need a simple majority in the Senate to get rid of the law - no filibuster allowed.

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