Anti-Obamacare Lawsuit Puts GOP on Defensive Before Elections

[DonViejo]

By Sahil Kapur

September 5, 2018, 4:00 AM EDT

GOP-led case seeks to undo pre-existing condition protections

Democrats seek to capitalize on issue in competitive races

A Republican-led lawsuit seeking to nullify Obamacare will be spotlighted in court in the final months of congressional election campaigns, giving Democrats political fodder and sending GOP candidates in competitive races looking for cover.

Oral arguments seeking to block the health-care law are set for Wednesday in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, in a case that Texas and 19 other Republican-led states brought against the federal government.

The Trump administration’s Justice Department has taken the unusual step of siding with Texas -- instead of defending the federal law -- in the states’ bid to persuade a judge that various aspects of the Affordable Care Act should be tossed out, including protecting people with pre-existing medical conditions.

The arguments come at a difficult time for Republicans as they try to defend their control of the House and Senate in the November elections while many Democrats make health care a central issue in their campaigns. The court case will help them to put GOP candidates in competitive races on the defensive.

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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-05/anti-obamacare-lawsuit-puts-gop-on-defensive-before-elections