Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins predicts that a federal judge's ruling declaring the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional will be overturned on appeal.
"There's no reason why the individual mandate provision can't be struck down, and keep all of the good provisions of the Affordable Care Act," Collins told host Jake Tapper on CNN's State of the Union program Sunday morning.
Collins said while the rule requiring Americans to purchase health insurance or face monetary penalties, was deeply "unpopular" it makes no sense, she said, not to retain the aspects of the Obama-era health legislation that provide for necessary care. "Such as coverage of people with pre-existing conditions, the mandated benefits for substance abuse and mental illness treatment, and also allowing young people to stay on their parents' policies until age 26."
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor opined that the entire Affordable Care Act was rendered invalid when Congress voted to repeal the penalties for failing to meet the individual mandate. The original mandate was upheld in previous court rulings as a tax. Reed's opinion, however, is that without an actual penalty anymore, it could no longer be protected as such.
“This is a backward, poorly-reasoned decision, but it does not change the fact that the Affordable Care Act is still the law of the land," said Democratic Maine Attorney General, and Governor-elect, Janet Mills. Mills who recently appointed a new Department of Health and Human Services commissioner, says that health care is a prime concern among Mainers and one she intends to focus on when she takes office in January.
US. Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat in the first congressional district, has also weighed in on Judge O'Connor's ruling. In a statement Sunday morning, Pingree said: "In one fell swoop, days before Christmas, a single partisan judge’s decision could strip health care access from millions of Americans." Pingree goes on to call the ruling "absurd" and says it will be appealed.
The ruling has been welcomed by President Donald Trump, however, who called it "great" in tweet and also called for new legislation to be written.
Also Sunday morning, Sen. Collins weighed in on a number of other issues while on State of the Union.
Collins reaffirmed her support for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, saying she felt her decision to put him onto the bench was vindicated last week when he voted not to hear a case that could have excluded Planned Parenthood affiliates from participating in Medicaid programs.
Like Sen. Angus King, Collins also declined to speculate on the outcome of investigations into President Trump's conduct and presidential campaign finances, but she reiterated that it is important that the Robert Mueller investigation continue.
Additionally, Collins expressed concern that the focus was already starting to shift to the 2020 election. CNN has already come out with its first poll of likely participants in the Iowa Democratic caucus. "We haven't even sworn in the new congress," said Collins, "and I'm worried that we're getting into this perpetual campaign mode instead of focusing on governing. That's what I'd like to see us do this next year."
