The Department of Justice on Monday sided with U.S. District Court Judge Reed O'Connor's previous ruling that the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare, is unconstitutional. Judge O'Connor's ruling came in December but the DOJ is just now solidifying the decision.
According to O'Connor's December ruling, the ACA's individual mandate is unconstitutional, which makes the entire piece of legislation invalid.
"The Department of Justice has determined that the district court's judgment should be affirmed," three Justice Department lawyers wrote to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which is now considering the case. "[T]he United States is not urging that any portion of the district court's judgment be reversed."
According to POLITICO, Justice Department spokesperson Kerri Kupec said the department "has determined that the district court’s comprehensive opinion came to the correct conclusion and will support it on appeal.”
Below is a copy of the letter the Department of Justice sent the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals:
The DOJ’s letter in the affordable care act case in the Fifth Circuit. pic.twitter.com/VusbWx1aBM
— Raffi Melkonian (@RMFifthCircuit) March 26, 2019
This is a breaking news story. This post will be updated as more information comes in.