Federal Judge Rules Obama Health Care Law Unconstitutional

From the Associated Press

In a setback for the Obama health care law, a federal judge ruled Thursday that the administration is unconstitutionally subsidizing medical bills for millions of people while ignoring congressional power over government spending.

The Associated Press reports the ruling from U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer was a win for House Republicans who brought the politically charged legal challenge in an effort to undermine the law.

If the decision is upheld, it could roil the health care law’s insurance markets, which are still struggling for stability after three years.

Collyer said her ruling would be put on hold while it is appealed. The White House expressed confidence it would be overturned.

At issue is the $175 billion the government is paying to reimburse health insurers over a decade to reduce deductibles and co-payments for lower-income people.

The House argues that Congress never specifically appropriated that money and has denied an administration request for it.

Collyer agreed that the administration is exceeding its constitutional authority by spending the money anyway.

She rejected the administration’s argument that the law authorizes the money automatically because the program is considered an “entitlement” like Social Security and Medicaid.

House Republicans launched the lawsuit in 2014 over Democrats’ objections.

The GOP-led House had already voted dozens of times to repeal all or parts of “Obamacare,” but those efforts went nowhere, failing to overcome opposition from Senate Democrats and the president.

So the House turned its focus to tying up money spent on the law.

Republican House leaders asserted that the Obama administration couldn’t spend money that lawmakers refused to provide.

House Speaker Paul Ryan called the decision “an historic win for the Constitution and the American people.”