A US federal judge has ruled that the Affordable Care Act, a health care law commonly known as Obamacare, was unconstitutional based on its mandate requiring that people buy health insurance.
US District Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, made the ruling Friday following a lawsuit filed by 20 states opposed to the federal government health plan.
The judge agreed with the states that a change in tax law last year that eliminated a penalty for not having health insurance invalidated the entire Obamacare law.
The coalition of states challenging the law was led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel, both Republicans.
Republicans have opposed the law and have repeatedly tried and failed to repeal it.
Obamacare was enacted by Congress in 2010 and signed into law by former Democratic President Barack Obama.
The federal judge ruled that under the logic of the landmark 2012 Supreme Court ruling…