Florida Democrats hammer Donald Trump as ACA court case moves forward

Donald Trump surprised everyone by not allowing any new signups on the Obamacare marketplace.

Florida Democrats laid into the Donald Trump administration Wednesday, as initial briefs were due in a Supreme Court case which could spell the undoing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The law is being challenged after the GOP-controlled Congress eliminated the ACA’s tax penalty. In 2012, the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act as a proper exercise of Congress’ taxing authority.

That “tax” was levied on Americans who refuse to purchase health care, as a penalty under the law as originally passed.

But the GOP tax bill approved at the end of 2017 removed the penalty for individuals who decline to purchase health care. No tax, Republicans argue, means the entire law should be struck down.

The Trump administration has declined to defend the ACA in court, though it’s unclear how the Supreme Court will ultimately rule.

“Very regrettably, Florida’s own Attorney General, Ashley Moody, has signed onto this lawsuit,” lamented Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo during a Wednesday Zoom conference attacking efforts to undo the law.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz also joined that call, arguing the push could culminate amid arguably the worst health crisis in a century.

“The whole notion that we’re even having this fight is macabre and sinister,” Wasserman Schultz said.

“But I can’t let it pass that we’re still having this fight during a global health pandemic. Let that sink in. With more than 70,000 people dead from the coronavirus pandemic that may take years to conquer, we should do all we can to expand the world of people with coverage, not contract it.”

Should the Supreme Court agree with the argument the ACA no longer constitutes a tax, those justices could still uphold portions of the law. The Court could also strike down the act completely or uphold the full law under some other grounds.

But even the possibility of the law’s demise had Wasserman Schultz — who survived a battle with cancer after being diagnosed at just 41 years old — particularly animated when it comes to those opposing the ACA.

“It’s a grotesque moral statement that they are each making, one that history will never forgive,” Wasserman Schultz argued.

“I know I’m using over-the-top language. But as many know, this is very personal to me. When we fought to pass the ACA, I had just completed a 15-month battle with breast cancer. One day I was the picture of health. The next day, I was facing my own mortality.”

Trump has consistently pushed to repeal the ACA, even backing a failed push by Congress to approve a replacement bill.

But CNN recently reported that some inside the administration — such as Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Attorney General William Barr — have advised against a full push to have the Supreme Court gut the law amid the coronavirus crisis.

Azar and Barr raised those concerns at a recent meeting, according to CNN.

“The meeting ended without a decision and it was not immediately clear if any shift in the Trump administration’s position will emerge,” the outlet reported.

Rizzo picked up the ball on that note, reviving Democrats’ criticism over the way Trump has handled the COVID-19 outbreak.

“As we’ve witnessed directly, Donald Trump cannot be trusted with our health care,” Rizzo said Wednesday.

“His response to the coronavirus pandemic has ranged from negligent to chaotic. And we truly cannot afford another four years of his erratic leadership, especially when it jeopardizes our health and safety.”

Wasserman Schultz added, “It is disgusting, really.”

“Make no mistake, the unthinkable does happen. It does. I am telling you from first-hand experience.”

Emma Vaughn of Trump Victory fired back at Democrats, calling Obamacare a “disaster” for Florida.

“Democrats have never been able to get government-run health care right and they won’t start now – luckily, President Trump is dedicated to bringing common sense solutions to our health care system,” Vaughn said.