Taking to Meet The Press, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke out against the ruling of a Federal judge last Friday that stuck down the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as “Obamacare,” as unconstitutional.
“It’s an awful ruling,” said Schumer. “it goes against pre-existing conditions, it jeopardizes the tens of millions who are getting good health care in the exchange, but it goes way beyond that. It would knock out funding for the treatment of opioids, it would raise drug prices and close the donut hole so seniors would pay more for drug prices. It would eliminate maternal care, all kinds of women’s’ health, It’s an awful, awful ruling.
“We’re going to fight this tooth and nail — and the first thing we’re going to do when we get back there in the Senate is put a vote on the floor, urging an intervention in the case,” he continued.
US District Judge Reed O’Connor based the ruling on the Republican tax cut from last year. That law repealed the individual mandate that required the majority of Americans have health insurance. O’Connor agreed with 20 states who brought the case before him, saying the mandate was an essential part of the ACA.
While many feel that the judge’s ruling will likely be overturned, Schumer is hedging his bets by pushing congress to action.
“A lot of this depends on congressional intent, and if a majority of the house and a majority of the senate say that this case should be overturned, that would have a tremendous effect on the appeal,” said Schumer. “So, our first stop is the courts. We believe this should be overturned, It’s an awful, awful decision.”
The Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act in both 2012 and 2015, and even with the change in the court since then, those who upheld the law remain on the bench.
View the full interview below:
Image via screen capture from video source.