Trump Supreme Court Justice Nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, Would Likely Vote To Strike Down Obamacare

President Donald Trump announced today that Amy Coney Barrett is his nomination for the Supreme Court of the United States. Barrett, who served as on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals since 2017, was President Trump’s leading contender for the nomination. The announcement was made official at 5 p.m. EST.

If confirmed by the Senate, appointing Barrett would give the Republicans a 6-3 majority in the Supreme Court. Her nomination comes at a time in which the Supreme Court has multiple important decisions fast approaching. Notably, a legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will be heard in November, and a 6-3 Republican majority could potentially lead the court in favor of striking it down.

ACA, or Obamacare, is a federal statute that was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010. The act was designed to extend health insurance coverage to millions of uninsured Americans and to reduce the cost of health insurance coverage overall. It also sought to expand Medicaid, a federal and state program that provides free or low-coast health coverage for people with limited income and resources.

But Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s successor might help mark the end of the ACA. Barrett has repeatedly been critical of some of its key elements. She published a journal article in 2017 which argued against the decision that saw it upheld against a court challenge back in 2012. She has signed a petition that is against the ACA insisting that employers provide access to birth control in insurance plans. Barrett argued that this infringed “religious freedom,” stating, “The simple fact is that the Obama administration is compelling religious people and institutions who are employers to purchase a health insurance contract that provides abortion-inducing drugs, contraception, and sterilization. This is a grave violation of religious freedom and cannot stand.” The ACA poses an attack on Barrett’s religious and political beliefs, and if she is appointed by November, she could play a role in striking down what has helped millions of Americans gain insurance coverage, saved thousands of lives, and strengthened the health care system.