In a significant shift, the Justice Department now says that it backs a full invalidation of the Affordable Care Act, the signature Obama-era health law. Justice Department officials said there were grounds only to strike down the law’s consumer protections, including those for people with preexisting health conditions. “The Department of Justice has determined that the district court’s comprehensive opinion came to the correct conclusion and will support it on appeal,” Kerri Kupec, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department, said in a statement. A court victory would fulfill Republican promises to undo a prized domestic accomplishment of the previous administration but leave no substitute in place. The Justice Department announced the shift fewer than six weeks after William P. Barr was sworn in as attorney general.

Source: Washington Post March 26, 2019 03:01 UTC