Nine years ago, Congress passed the Affordable Care Act. Since then, it has survived legal challenges in 2012 and 2015.
But the ACA, also known as Obamacare, is anything but safe. On Tuesday, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans will take up a Texas challenge to the ACA after a federal judge in Fort Worth ruled it unconstitutional last year. Texas Tribune reporter Emma Platoff says this lawsuit aims to dismantle the ACA, not just do away with parts of it.
“Texas has sued over this law before, but it’s usually been over smaller things,” Platoff says. “This time, they’re going at the law in its entirety.”
What you’ll hear in this segment:
– Why Texas is arguing that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional
– Who is defending the ACA in the appeals court
– What the consequences could be if Texas wins the lawsuit
Written by Caroline Covington.
