Original article from: USA Today
The death of Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg could have a major impact on the latest challenge to the Affordable Care Act, which will arrive at the Supreme Court one week after Election Day.
The latest effort by Texas and 17 allied states to strike down the 10-year-old law was considered a long shot at the court because of Chief Justice John Roberts’ alignment with the four liberal justices in prior challenges.
LEFT VIEWPOINTS
Following the death of Ginsburg, Obamacare at risk of being dismantled
- The Republicans will continue to attack Obamacare until it’s gone or rendered ineffective.
- Obamacare could grow far more successful, but that would require Republican cooperation. Instead, Republicans have made it their mission to destroy it.
- If Democrats gain control of the Whitehouse and the Senate, America has a huge opportunity. Healthcare may finally be expanded to every American.
Obamacare is at risk of being dismantled — again. Following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Supreme Court is evenly split — for now. What happens next is anyone’s guess, but one thing is a certainty: the Republicans will continue to attack Obamacare until it’s gone or rendered ineffective.
The irony is that Obamacare is perhaps the most conservative healthcare expansion bill that could have been passed. It didn’t do away with private health insurance, it rewarded big pharmaceutical companies with massive profits, and it didn’t provide universal government-funded healthcare.
Obamacare could grow far more successful, but that would require Republican cooperation. Instead, Republicans have made it their mission to destroy it, not because it doesn’t help, but because it does.
The ACA increased health insurance coverage to 20 million more Americans and showed that the government can expand healthcare to millions of people, including people with pre-existing conditions. It also revealed that Republicans will never support universal healthcare or try to fix our healthcare system. Republicans held the Presidency, the House, and the Senate for two years. All they passed was a massively expensive tax reform law that disproportionately favored the wealthy elite and large corporations. Republicans failed to improve healthcare, despite their “promise” to repeal and replace it.
As the onslaught continues, Obamacare is likely to get weakened again. However, this may result in something the Republicans never wanted: a dramatic push for Medicare for All.
If the ACA is struck down or weakened, millions of people will lose their health insurance. Millions have already lost health insurance because of job losses during the pandemic. Sometimes it takes a crisis to deliver big change. Our country is in crisis. If Democrats gain control of the Whitehouse and the Senate, America has a huge opportunity. Healthcare may finally be expanded to every American.