Juneteenth
What to know: The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a bill making Juneteenth (June 19) a federal holiday.
The TPPF take: Juneteenth marks a pivotal point in Texas history.
“It commemorates the day, June 19, 1865, when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger gave notice to Texas that all slaves were free,” says TPPF’s Richard Johnson. “Critical Race theorists and the 1619 Project say that slavery is central to the story of America. Juneteenth shows there’s much, much more to the story.”
For more on Juneteenth, click here.
Affordable Care?
What to know: The U.S. Supreme Court has dismissed our lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act, preserving Obamacare. TPPF represented the individual plaintiffs in the case.
The TPPF take: The High Court’s decision only adds to the confusion surrounding the ACA.
“For a third time, the Court bailed out Congress to save the Affordable Care Act from legal consequences, each time creating more questions than answers,” says TPPF’s Robert Henneke. “As a result of this decision, we now have a law on the books — the individual mandate — that the Supreme Court already declared unconstitutional, but now says can simply be ignored by every American.”
“No one can fail to be impressed by the lengths to which this Court has been willing to go to defend the ACA against all threats. A penalty is a tax. The United States is a State. And 18 States who bear costly burdens under the ACA cannot even get a foot in the door to raise a constitutional challenge. So a tax that does not tax is allowed to stand and support one of the biggest Government programs in our Nation’s history. Fans of judicial inventiveness will applaud once again.
But I must respectfully dissent.” Alito, J., dissenting.
For more on the ACA decision, click here.
Broken Promises
What to know: President Joe Biden says the Supreme Court’s decision is a victory for Americans.
The TPPF take: The Affordable Care Act has been a disaster for American families.
“A decade after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Americans are still unhappy with the high cost of care, a lack of affordable options, and a system that puts the interests of insurance companies over patients,” says TPPF’s David Balat. “Millions of Americans are eligible for low- or no-cost insurance yet decline to enroll because the system does not deliver the care they need. The good news is states like Texas are beginning to forge their own path and develop new models that provide better help to the uninsured, require pricing information upfront, and put patients in charge.”
For more on the ACA’s broken promises, click here.