Texas federal judge stays his ruling that ObamaCare is unconstitutional

Protesters march towards the Federal Building during a &#039;Save the Affordable Care Act&#039; rally in Los Angeles, California on March 23, 2017.

(Image credit: Mark Ralston/Getty Images)

published 31 December 2018

In a late-Friday ruling on Dec. 14, U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth ruled that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, siding with a group of Republican state attorneys general. On Sunday, O'Connor wrote that he stands by his decision that ObamaCare must be ended nationwide because of the zeroed-out individual mandate, but he is staying his ruling because "many everyday Americans would ... face great uncertainty" if it went into effect before appellate courts and possibly the Supreme Court weighed in. Most legal scholars expect O'Connor's ruling to be overturned, though he does have his boosters, too.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.