Dr. Jamila Taylor, Director of Health Care Reform and senior fellow at The Century Foundation (TCF), issued the following statement in response to the ruling by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Texas v. United States, which centers on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA):

“The Fifth Circuit’s decision is deeply disappointing. By ruling that the ACA’s individual mandate is unconstitutional, and then punting the severability question to a lower court, the decision by two rogue members of the Fifth Circuit continues to put the health of millions of people who rely on the ACA in jeopardy.

“Make no mistake: this outcome is a direct result of the actions of the Trump administration and its allies in state governments. Since the day the ACA was enacted, Obamacare opponents have tried relentlessly to strip health coverage from Americans, by whatever means necessary, damn the consequences to people’s lives and well-being. It is one of the most inhumane and shameless political crusades in recent memory.

“The one silver lining of this fight is that it has reaffirmed for Americans just how important access to quality, affordable health care is—and just how precarious it is when one’s right to health care is left in the hands of conservative lawmakers, politically-motivated judges, or private insurance companies. Fortunately, the ACA is still the law of the land and, for now, no one’s health care is affected by today’s ruling. The fight goes on: not only to save the ACA, but to build on the law and guarantee truly universal and affordable coverage for all Americans, no matter their background or source of health insurance.”

Dr. Jamila Taylor leads TCF’s work to build on the ACA and develop the next generation of health reform, including public plan proposals in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election. To speak with her about the significance of today’s ruling or what’s next in the health care fight, contact [email protected].