Dive Brief:
- House Republicans have filed a long-expected lawsuit challenging the implementation of the ACA.
- The suit, which targets the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Treasury, addresses the administration's decision to delay implementation of the ACA's employer mandate, as well as another provision authorizing Treasury payments to health plans.
- In a blog post on the topic, the lead counsel for the House Republicans argues that the president's actions in regards to the ACA blurred the lines between branches of government.
Dive Insight:
The Republican suit doesn't necessarily cater to the sentiments of the general electorate. Though the ACA was a major element in many Republicans' election campaigns, and appeared in thousands of campaign ads, it wasn't a major factor in how people voted, according to reports in the Los Angeles Times. The LA Times report, which covers the results of a survey by a GOP polling firm, notes that almost 6 in 10 voters said that their midterm ballot wasn't intended to send a message regarding the ACA, a big contrast with 2010, when more than 70% of voters said their ballot was intended to express feelings about it.
That being said, if the survey is any indication, the lawsuit should strike a chord with House Republicans' existing supporters. The pollsters found that 55% of Republicans said that their vote was a message against the law, while 44% said it wasn't a message.
The real question, of course, is how likely the House Republicans are to prevail. According to political newspaper The Hill, many legal scholars believe the Republicans will have trouble establishing standing in court.