A current Supreme Court case regarding the Affordable Care Act’s subsidies has President Obama annoyed and angry. The ruling is expected any day now. And despite having said, “Congress could fix this whole thing with a one-sentence provision,” Obama understands what a ruling against subsidies could mean for his beloved healthcare system.
It has been months since the King vs Burwell case reached the Supreme Court, but a decision has yet to be reached. Four words in the Affordable Care Act are being scrutinized to decide whether or not individuals who signed up for coverage through HealthCare.gov are entitled to collect subsidies.
Obama had a lot to say about the issue on Monday during a press conference in Krun, Germany. A ruling against the President’s legal team would be a “twisted interpretation” of the law, says Obama. He added that the Affordable Care Act “doesn’t need fixing” and that the lawsuit “probably shouldn’t even have been taken up” in the first place.
Many believe that Obama has crossed the line with his preemptive attack on the Supreme Court. And it’s not the first time. Obama badmouthed the Supreme Court in 2010 during his State of the Union speech when he slammed their decision regarding the Citizens United VS Federal Election Commission case.
According to the president, ObamaCare “never intended” to get in the way of federal subsidies. Obama strongly believes that a ruling against ObamaCare would be an unjust atrocity because it would leave over 6 million people without federal aid. And it’s not just individuals who would suffer. An overturning of the Affordable Care Act would disrupt insurance markets in several states, he warns.
Republican members of the Senate believe they may be able to influence the Supreme Court’s decision by voting to provide short-term subsidies. Others worry that ObamaCare will emerge stronger than ever after a legal defeat and have ideas of a transitional healthcare system that would gradually do away with ObamaCare.
So far, nobody has stepped up to say something along the lines of, “When we created the law, we thought that the subsidies were only going to states that set up their own exchanges.” The Court remains divided on the matter.
Meanwhile, Obama insists that his healthcare system is working and that he has faith that the Supreme Court will act appropriately.