The Texas judge who ruled on Dec. 14 that one core provision of the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, and that all of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is invalid, has decided to keep his decision from taking effect while an appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is under way.
"Many everyday Americans would otherwise face great uncertainty during the pendency of appeal," U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor said in an order filed Sunday, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
The judge issued the order in connection with Texas v. United States, 4:18-cv-00167.
States led by Democrats have asked for permission to intervene in the case, and they were the ones who asked for the stay, according to O'Connor's discussion of his order.
Lawyers for the administration of President Donald Trump supported the request for the stay. The administration said it would like to see all appellate review be exhaused before the federal government starts implementing the court's judgment.
The Republican-led states said they thought that the case should be certified for appeal, and that whether the Dec. 14 order should be stayed should up to O'Connor's discretion.
PPACA History
The Affordable Care Act is a statutory package made up of two laws that were signed in 2010: PPACA, and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (HCERA).