The Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to the Affordable Care Act on Thursday in a decision that will leave the law intact and save health care for millions of Americans. The justices turned away a challenge from republican led states and the former Trump administration who urged the justices to block the entire law.
The justices said that the challengers of the 2010 law did not have the legal right to bring the case.
Justice Breyer penned the decision that was 7-2. Justices Samuel Alito and Gorsuch dissented.
They noted that there is no harm to opponents from the provisions that they are challenging because Congress has reduced the penalty for failing to buy health insurance to zero.
The ruling means that the justices won’t rule on the merits of the lawsuit, the third time they’ve been asked to consider a significant challenge to the law, but instead they will allow the law to stand.
The lawsuit was brought by Republican states opposing the law and supported by former President Donald Trump.
The court’s ruling comes as President Joe Biden—a firm supporter of the law that was passed while he served as President Barack Obama’s vice president—has expressed strong support of the law.
Read more about today’s ruling here.
