Thread by @ASlavitt

BREAKING: The biggest health care news of the year.

The Trump DOJ tonight just told the courts to dismantle pre-existing conditions protections and other consumer protections.

This may seem predictable, but these actions are unprecedented.

More coming. Follow if interested.

Before I get into it, I have to stop and just repeat this another way:

The DOJ, responsible for upholding the rule of law, is not defending the people in a frivolous lawsuit to say that wi5out the mandate, the rest of the ACA can’t be enforced. 2/

This collusion between the conservative plaintiffs and the “defense” would make pre-ex protections and age rating protections unconstitutional.

In an active of savage cynicism, the Trump Administration doesn’t want this to go into effect until after the election. 3/

On the phone now with experts. Give me a minute. 4/

I am going got try to cover what happened and what is likely to happen next.

A gift for insurance companies and the infliction of harm on the lives of 130 million Americans w pre ex conditions or older Americans.

So what happened... 5/

Two really destructive instincts have combined: a desire to turn back the ACA and hurt the millions who benefit from it (not through the exchanges but through the protections) AND an unprecedented move by the Justice Dept. not to defend the rule of law in a frivolous case. 6/

FOR AMERICANS WITH PRE EXISTING CONDITIONS: This is game on that the Administration is against you. Same if you ever may get sick.

(Excuse all CAPS for looking like I’m yelling. But I’m literally in a restaurant in DC and feel like I should probably be yelling.) 7/

Legally, this is the justice department laying down and refusing to do their jobs for political reasons.

Three career Justice Department officials quit the case today, presumably in protest. Amazing.

Unbelievable details c/o @nicholas_bagley 7/

takecareblog.com/blog/texas-fol…

So what happens now: it is up to other states (who filed tonight) to do what the Federal government wouldn’t— and argue on behalf of the public. 8/

Experts tell me the following.

Frivolous lawsuit will attract every conservative lawyer to get this o the Supreme Court.

Even though conservative experts point out how frivolous this is. 9/

There are chances this ends up past the crazy judge who has the case now, the 5th(?) circuit and on the Lap of Chief Justice Roberts.

Only imagine a USOC case with the Solicitor in cohorts with the defendant.

Sound unprecedented? Probably why career lawyers walked out. 10/

This could hit the Supreme Court in 2019 earliest or more likely . . . 2020.

And who knows what the make up of the court is by then? If Trump us a chance to replace a liberal judge, it may even be out of Roberts hands. 11/

More important than ever...

-A loud public outcry
-Educate the public what could happen after the election
-Support for states preventing this
-A Dem Senate for the USOC
-A press and an electorate that makes every R who voted to eliminate the mandate account for this 12/

I will close with this: people who care about public health don’t do this. People who care about the rule of law don’t do this.

The people responsible must come to regret it when they face the electorate. /end for now— I’m not going anywhere.