COURTS/DEMS/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/OBAMACARE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration wants to put on hold Democrats’ attempt to defend Obamacare until the partial government shutdown ends. In a filing Wednesday [1-9-19], the Justice Department said it wants to challenge House Democrats’ attempt to get involved in the litigation over the Affordable Care Act. But lawyers can’t meet the deadline to do so because of the federal funding impasse. Instead, the department asked the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to pause the case…The constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act is being challenged by Republican attorneys general who argue it became invalid after the GOP-controlled Congress ended the law’s penalty for people who don’t have insurance. U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor in the Northern District of Texas agreed with the attorneys general last month. The law remains intact during the appeals process. Democratic attorneys general have challenged the decision. House Democrats want to join that appeal. Objections to that move are supposed to be filed by Jan. 17, although the court Tuesday agreed to delay a briefing on the issue.”
–Maureen Groppe and Brad Heath, “Trump administration seeks pause in Obamacare court case because of shutdown,” USA Today, January 9, 2019 5:48 pm