California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is promising legal action following Wednesday's ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate is unconstitutional. During a news conference in Sacramento Becerra said, "(for) now, the President got the gift he wanted — uncertainty in the healthcare system and a pathway to repeal."
Becerra claimed that the rest of the ACA remains intact, and he noted that his team of attorneys are ready to take this case to the U.S. Supreme Court. He also insisted that Covered California, which is the the ACA insurance exchange at the state level, will continue to operate as usual.
"This decision could take us to a dangerous and irresponsible place, not just for the 133 million Americans with pre-existing conditions, but for our seniors who use Medicare, our children under the age of 26, and the 20 million additional Americans covered directly through the ACA marketplace. California will move swiftly to challenge this decision, because this could mean the difference between life and death for so many Americans and their families."
As for the promised legal action in response to the Wednesday ruling, Becerra said, "we will do it with speed, and we will do it deliberately, but we will do it."