The Washington Post reported Thursday that the Trump administration “will not defend the Affordable Care Act against the latest legal challenge to its constitutionality — a dramatic break from the executive branch’s tradition of arguing to uphold existing statutes and a land mine for health insurance changes the ACA brought about.”
Here's my take on the Justice Department's latest decision to refuse to defend the ACA. As I say, I am at a loss for words to explain how big of a deal this is. https://t.co/Bi7mByducC
— Nicholas Bagley (@nicholas_bagley) June 8, 2018
Nicholas Bagley, a University of Michigan law professor, posted an epic thread on Twitter in reaction to the news, but a couple of excerpts stood out, like this one:
Do you want to live in a country where the executive branch can pick and choose the craziest of arguments and decline to defend — or even to enforce! — laws on that basis? The President has a duty to take care that all the laws are enforced, not just the ones he agrees with.
— Nicholas Bagley (@nicholas_bagley) June 7, 2018
Did you catch that? The president has a duty to take care that all the laws are enforced, not just the ones he agrees with.
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) June 8, 2018
That’s a pretty small violin.
Wait until someone tells this guy about the Obama years … https://t.co/IR7EWyMDUr
— Joe Kehoskie (@joe_kehoskie) June 8, 2018
Buddy we’ve been living there since 2008 https://t.co/Vo8932qdoC
— Rob, Son of Bert (@rpkelly) June 8, 2018
Where were you from 2008-2016? https://t.co/2G62rLJqQz
— Luffred Lowdown (@ashtonjoseph92) June 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/EF517_V3/status/1004878599583862785
I believe it was the last president who liked to brag about having "a pen and a phone" and not needing Congress to get things done. https://t.co/yyKIpb80KW
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) June 8, 2018
Man, it really sucks when the other side starts playing Calvinball! https://t.co/d8ZpgdhI0I
— Drew McCoy (@_Drew_McCoy_) June 7, 2018
We're in the middle of an outrage cycle because DoJ is enforcing the law against entering the country illegally.
It's amazing how selective we are about being selective in enforcing the law. https://t.co/d8ZpgdhI0I
— Drew McCoy (@_Drew_McCoy_) June 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/el__cajones/status/1004890200902918144
The entire left is freaking out right now because we’re attempting to enforce immigration law. Now we’ve suddenly hit crisis level because of the ACA? https://t.co/btbezmcNev
— Fuzzy Chimp (@fuzzychimpcom) June 8, 2018
I want the President to enforce the laws I like and not enforce the laws I don't like. https://t.co/4GYqJw3q9X
— MC (@ThulsaGloom) June 8, 2018
Is this a parody account? https://t.co/WnIdIarn4g
— Tyler Bennett (@TylerBennett248) June 8, 2018
Settle down, bub. Illegal immigration, marijuana, sanctuary cities…there's a long history of the executive branch turning a blind eye to our nation's laws. Nice that you've suddenly noticed, tho. https://t.co/pG48c17zEp
— Straight Outta Pali (@jslemaker) June 8, 2018
You act like this is the first time this has been asked & answered with reasons. https://t.co/r6jvFpBQPP
— Kris Kinder (@kris_kinder) June 8, 2018
Remember when Obama issued waivers, delayed the employer mandate, and changed enrollment periods for Obamacare? I do. https://t.co/SIjqKCeQq4
— Mo Mo (@molratty) June 8, 2018
Like when Obama made unconstitutional changes to the travesty that was ObamaCare? ACA has been a liberal disaster from day one. #ObamaFail https://t.co/7VB9rFilsT
— Steve (@eighteenrings) June 8, 2018
The weirdest thing about the 21st century is how earnestly arguments get recycled as the wheel of fortune turns. https://t.co/rnQUJRMV1f
— Andy Rasmussen (@andysrasmussen) June 8, 2018
But wait, there’s more. How about this one:
I am at a loss for words to explain how big of a deal this is. The Justice Department has a durable, longstanding, bipartisan commitment to defending the law when non-frivolous arguments can be made in its defense. This brief torches that commitment.
— Nicholas Bagley (@nicholas_bagley) June 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/EdWhelanEPPC/status/1004868178718048256
Two words: Eric Holder. https://t.co/QeQ9PKpMoQ
— Navigator (@ItsGoneAwry) June 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/ARKloster/status/1004890372034744323
https://twitter.com/ARKloster/status/1004890698305429504
https://twitter.com/sbwnhtx/status/1004869531393777664
Indeed, that used to be the norm. But AG Holder didn't want to defend DOMA, so it is no longer the norm.
Although I vocally opposed DOMA, I wrote at the time that Holder's decision was the wrong one. And here we are. https://t.co/Y43dMFukWl
— Friendly Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) June 8, 2018
DOMA could not be reached for comment. https://t.co/McEft5YDFp
— Drew McCoy (@_Drew_McCoy_) June 7, 2018
It burned down seven years ago, and some of us warned at the time that there would be consequences to that https://t.co/AV9our22KZ https://t.co/0TPvyvqZ25
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) June 8, 2018
Kinda sucks, no? #DefenseOfMarriageAct https://t.co/QajiIw3RHY
— Kevin Bensema (@kevin_bensema) June 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/MichaelWatsonDC/status/1004883366670405632