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BOSTON (WBZ-AM) — The ruling by a federal judge in Texas Friday that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional has been criticized by some Democrats. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is among those speaking out against the ruling.
U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor found that the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated the penalty for not having health coverage, as mandated by the Affordable Care Act.
WBZ NewsRadio1030’s Karyn Regal spoke with Sen. Elizabeth Warren at the Christmas in the City event in Boston Sunday.
Sen. Warren says ‘this is a very dangerous ruling’
Sen. Elizabeth Warren: It’s more evidence that the Trump administration is doing everything they can to try to undermine healthcare coverage for people all across this country. They can’t win at the ballot box. They can’t get a vote through Congress. So, they are looking for other ways to try to take away health care from Americans.
The next steps for Democrats
Warren: The next move is going to be to try to get an appeal on this opinion. But, we’ll stay on it. This is just so frustrating because we elect a government to do the will of the people. And right now, the overwhelming majority of people in this country — Democrats, Republicans, and Independents — want us to have a health care system that works, that’s fair, that provides health care, that protects people with preexisting conditions.
On how Massachusetts could be affected
Warren: The plan [Republicans] proposed in Congress last year, and voted through the house, would have taken away $2 billion dollars in health care help here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. So, this matters for all of us — even states that are determined to hang on to health care for their citizens. So, we’re going to fight them with everything we’ve got.
Listen to the full conversation: