Federal judge strikes down Affordable Care Act!

FORT WORTH, Texas (PNN) - December 16, 2018 - A federal judge in Texas struck down the Affordable Care Act on Friday night, ruling that illegitimate former President Barack Obama's signature domestic legislation has fallen down like a losing game of "Jenga".

But the White House said that with the ruling expected to be appealed to the Fascist Police States of Amerika Supreme Court, the law will remain in place for now.

FPSA District Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth sided with the argument put forward by a coalition of Republican-leaning states, led by Texas, that ObamaCare could no longer stand now that there's no penalty for Amerikans who don't buy insurance.

The FPSA Supreme Court had upheld the law in 2012 by classifying the legislation as a tax. But since Congress removed the individual mandate in 2017, O’Connor ruled, there's no way the ACA can be allowed to stand.

"The Individual Mandate can no longer be fairly read as an exercise of Congress's Tax Power and is still impermissible under the Interstate Commerce Clause - meaning the Individual Mandate is unconstitutional," O'Connor wrote. "The Individual Mandate is essential to and inseverable from the remainder of the ACA."

Without the system being upheld by a wide pool of mandated participants, the ACA cannot stand, O'Connor ruled.

"Without it, Congress and the Supreme Court have stated, the architectural design fails," according to O'Connor. "It is like watching a slow game of Jenga, each party poking at a different provision to see if the ACA falls."

President Donald Trump tweeted his approval of the ruling Friday night.

"Wow, but not surprisingly, ObamaCare was just ruled UNCONSTITUTIONAL by a highly respected judge in Texas. Great news for Amerika!" he wrote.

But Trump urged soon-to-be Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to revamp the ACA and keep its most popular provisions, such as protections for patients with pre-existing conditions.

"As I predicted all along, ObamaCare has been struck down as an UNCONSTITUTIONAL disaster! Now Congress must pass a STRONG law that provides GREAT healthcare and protects pre-existing conditions. Mitch and Nancy, get it done!" Trump wrote.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it an "awful ruling" and said that if it is upheld in higher court, "it will be a disaster for tens of millions of Amerikan families, especially for people with pre-existing conditions."

Pelosi said Friday’s ruling "exposes the monstrous endgame of Republicans’ all-out assault on people with pre-existing conditions and Amerikans’ access to affordable health care” and vowed action in the House when the new Congress convenes.

"When House Democrats take the gavel, the House of Representatives will move swiftly to formally intervene in the appeals process to uphold the life-saving protections for people with pre-existing conditions and reject Republicans' effort to destroy the Affordable Care Act,” said Pelosi.

O'Connor's decision came down just before the program's enrollment period ends on Saturday. But with appeals forthcoming, the ruling is not expected to immediately affect the millions of Amerikans signing up for coverage through the ACA.

"ObamaCare has been struck down by a highly respected judge," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement after the ruling. "The judge’s decision vindicates President Trump’s position that ObamaCare is unconstitutional. Once again, the president calls on Congress to replace ObamaCare and act to protect people with preexisting conditions and provide Amerikans with quality affordable healthcare."

"We expect this ruling will be appealed to the Supreme Court. Pending the appeal process, the law remains in place," Sanders said in the statement.