BREAKING: Kevin Cramer Must Apologize and Disavow Support from Anti-LGBTQ Hate Group

Why did Kevin Cramer seek the support of a radical hate group?  

(BISMARCK, ND) — After a CNN investigative journalist exposed Kevin Cramer’s ties to an extreme anti-LGBTQ hate group supporting Congressman Kevin Cramer’s campaign today, the North Dakota Dem-NPL called on Cramer to immediately disavow the hate group’s endorsement and advertising paid for by the group on his behalf.

Seeking the backing of the extreme hate group, Cramer filled out the group’s questionnairewhere he outlined his commitments to their agenda – specifically vowing to work toward overturning marriage equality as the law of the land.

“North Dakotans are not a hateful people and seeking out and accepting the backing of an extreme hate group is unacceptable – and Kevin Cramer must apologize for doing so and immediately disavow the group’s endorsement and financial backing,” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “North Dakotans are fiercely independent, and as our state celebrates that spirit of inclusivity during Pride Month, Kevin Cramer has a responsibility to demonstrate that he represents all North Dakotans – not just some. Marriage equality is the law of the land, and it’s extremely disturbing that Cramer vowed to actively work to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision and take away the freedom of North Dakotans. It’s also very troubling that Cramer would associate himself with a group that promotes violent conspiracy theories and downright offensive lies. Senator Heitkamp has been a strong champion for equality and voters have a clear choice in this election.”

CNN: GOP Senate nominees Kevin Cramer, Corey Stewart sought support of extreme anti-gay group

  • Two Republican Senate nominees sought and received the support of an anti-LGBT group that links homosexuality to pedophilia and defends conversion therapy.

  • North Dakota’s Kevin Cramer and Virginia’s Corey Stewart, who both won the Republican nomination in their respective states on Tuesday, filled out a “Senate Candidate Survey” for the group Public Advocate of the United States.

  • Both nominees also indicated support for overturning Supreme Court rulings legalizing same-sex marriage […]

  • The group’s founder and chief executive, Eugene Delgaudio, said in February he believes that former President Barack Obama was a “child molester” and that “adult homosexuals want to recruit and brainwash children.” He is an active promoter of the far-right pizzagate conspiracy theory.

  • The group has been running Google ads in support of Cramer, who is currently in his third term as North Dakota’s lone member in the US House. Delgaudio told CNN in an email exchange that he would not disclose other efforts the group has made online to support Cramer.

Stenehjem-backed Lawsuit Will Strip Away Pre-Existing Conditions Protections for North Dakotans

Thompson: North Dakota’s Attorney General violated state law by joining lawsuit

(GRAND FORKS, ND) — This week, the Department of Justice announced that it would not be defending current laws protecting people with pre-existing conditions from a lawsuit in which – as it turns out – North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem has illegally attempted to commit State of North Dakota. Democratic-NPL candidate for Attorney General David Thompson today released the following statement:

“Wayne Stenehjem signing onto this lawsuit is not only unconscionable, because of its potential impacts for nearly 300,000 North Dakotans who have pre-existing conditions, but it was also illegal. If a judge sides with Stenehjem and the 20 other AGs who are pursuing this case, people with chronic diseases like diabetes or cancer will most likely be priced out of the insurance market with few options to get the high-quality care they deserve.

But that is not the end of Stenehjem’s mess. Not only is this Texas lawsuit aimed at hurting the most vulnerable members of our community, but Stenehjem is violating North Dakota Law by allowing the Texas Attorney General to represent the State of North Dakota as a party without our Attorney General safeguarding the interests of our State and its citizens. Under the law, it is clear that only the North Dakota Attorney General may represent our State in a court case such as this Texas federal court action. The Texas Attorney General may not legally represent the State of North Dakota as a party in that Texas case. Just like his behavior as a member of the Industrial Commission, Wayne Stenehjem is once again flouting North Dakota law, but this time in an attempt to strip sick people of important protections. For that reason, Stenehjem’s illegal attempt to have the Texas Attorney General represent the State of North Dakota in taking health care away from North Dakotans is disgraceful.”

North Dakota Democratic-NPL Statement on Primary Election

Volunteer engagement points to good news for Dem-NPL candidates in November

(BISMARCK, ND) — Following Tuesday’s primary election, North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party Executive Director Scott McNeil released the following statement:

“We are very pleased with the showing of Democratic-NPL candidates had in Tuesday’sprimary election. From Senator Heitkamp and our other statewide candidates to legislative and local races, we have seen increased enthusiasm for the Dem-NPL’s message. We have also been heartened by the number of volunteers who have taken the time to knock doors, make phone calls, and support our candidates in their fight for a better future for North Dakota.

Additionally, we were glad to see local candidates who sought assistance from the Dem-NPL performed well including Nancy Guy (Bismarck City Commission), Amber Larson (Mandan City Commission), Katie Dachtler (Grand Forks Ward 2 City Council), and Rebecca Knutson (Fargo School Board).”

PANTS ON FIRE: Kevin Cramer is Lying, Running from His Votes to Undermine Protections for Pre-Existing Conditions

Cramer previously accused people with pre-existing conditions of trying to “game the system”

(BISMARCK, ND) — Kevin Cramer is so worried about his record on health care that he keeps lying about it. Today, he claimed he supported protections for pre-existing conditions, but his claim couldn’t be further from the truth. He’s also rewriting history about the dangerous Washington Republican health care bills – including the tax legislation, which is raising health care costs – so we wanted to set the record straight.

“Put simply, Kevin Cramer’s record on health care is dangerous for North Dakota – now, he’s lying about it to climb the political ladder and further his own career,” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “Cramer can’t hide from his reckless health care record of raising costs and gutting protections for hardworking North Dakotans. Cramer owes North Dakotans a straight answer – does he agree with this administration that coverage for pre-existing conditions should be struck down? We need a yes or no – not talking points from Mitch McConnell and his D.C. machine.”

Today on ‘What’s on your Mind’ with Scott Hennen, Cramer said he supports protecting pre-existing conditions coverage which was “exactly what we did in the American Health Care Act,” and that the “same thing, of course, was in the Graham-Cassidy bill.” Despite his efforts to mislead voters, Cramer has championed efforts to gut protections for preexisting conditions, which is exactly what both legislative efforts he pointed to would have done. Listen to his full answer here.

Here are the facts:

ICYMI: Cramer’s Bitter White House-Blaming Reveal His Own Political, Legislative Shortcomings

Just Days after Bragging President Trump “Begged” Him to Run, Cramer Desperately Lashes Out at White House for Attention

(BISMARCK, ND) – Crybaby Cramer just keeps asking not what the White House can do for North Dakota, but what the White House can do for Kevin Cramer.

After bragging to the Associated Press that President Trump “begged” him to run for office over fancy D.C. dining, Cramer sounds more desperate than ever for his affections. In an interview with the Washington Post, Cramer said he hopes the president still comes to North Dakota on his behalf because “he promised me he would.”

According to an ND x Plains analysis from Tyler Axness, maybe that’s because Congressman Cramer’s tirade and public feuding and fallout with White House officials in the Washington Post is revealing of more than just his jealousy of Senator Heitkamp’s legislative prowess.

Axness points out that Cramer has a clear pattern of excuses and finger-pointing whenever he doesn’t get the attention he wants, or his inability to lead is exposed. This time, Cramer blamed the president thanking Heidi for her work on a bill she helping write, negotiate and pass on the fact that she’s a woman. “The public unraveling of his composure” is “unbecoming of the office he seeks,” Axness wrote. In other words, when Cramer doesn’t get a gold star for the homework he didn’t do, he throws a tantrum.

Read more here:

NDxPlains: Cramer Continues Campaign of Complaints

  • The Washington Post interviewed Congressman Kevin Cramer and Senator Heidi Heitkamp following a couple of bad weeks for the Congressman. The article, published last evening, was revealing. What was exposed in the Post is Cramer’s bitterness toward the White House’s appreciation for Heitkamp’s accomplishments and his grasps for reasoning behind it all.
  • The fallout from Cramer complaining about Marc Short is evident. Recall that Cramer, a member of the Legislative branch, blamed Short, a member of the Executive branch, for Congress not getting legislation passed. Short heard the complaint and “quickly brought the interview to the attention of the National Senatorial Committee (NRSC). It is important to remember last year, Senior Senate Republicans walked away from Cramer out of fear of his “cringe-worthy” moments. At the time, CNN reported, “The maneuvering comes as some influential Republicans now are fearful that Cramer could damage their chances if he commits gaffes.” In the end, he’s their guy.
  • What is the catalyst for these complaints? Heitkamp being at the bill signing ceremony of a banking bill she co-sponsored and helped pass. Cramer called it “obscene.” One could ask why Cramer was even attending this ceremony at all. He wasn’t a co-sponsor of the bill. Many of the other 325 members who voted in favor of it didn’t attend.
  • Lastly in the Post article, he pulled out the woman card. Cramer expresses that he believes Heitkamp gets special treatment because she’s a female. Cramer’s had a past of lashing out at women in prominent roles. What does gender have to do with any of this?
  • Look, I haven’t said much new in this post that I haven’t already written on this website. Then why highlight it again you may ask? Because our lone Congressman keeps making awkward complaints and excuses that are unbecoming of the office he seeks. There is a pattern of behavior. Every few days we’re given another example. It is the public unraveling of his composure that needs our attention.

ICYMI: Growing Chorus in ND Say Cramer’s Peeping-Tom Defense, Other Missteps Call His Judgment Into Question

From his Gardner is a “good man” remarks to siding against ND’s farmers, Former Grand Forks Herald Editor and Publisher Mike Jacobs runs down Kevin Cramer’s lack of judgment

(BISMARCK, ND)  — Kevin Cramer seems to be spiraling. From defending admitted peeping-tom Will Gardner to failing to pass a Farm Bill to sticking up for the administration’s misguided trade policies that are hurting North Dakota’s manufacturers and farmers, he’s consistently put his political ambitions ahead of hard-working families in his home state.

Today, former editor and publisher of the Grand Forks Herald Mike Jacobs joined the growing chorus of North Dakotans wondering why in the world Kevin Cramer would defend and endorse Will Gardner’s political career. Highlights from Jacobs’ column on Cramer’s campaign in free-fall below:

Grand Forks Herald: Jacobs: N.D. winds, and politics, blow hard

  • A month ago Republicans were confident of a clean sweep on the North Dakota ballot in November, but contrary winds have begun to blow.

  • Republicans lost a statewide candidate when Will Gardner withdrew from the race for secretary of state, leaving the party scrambling — and settling eventually on the very man they’d rejected at their state convention. He’s the incumbent, Al Jaeger, who will run as an independent. The secretary of state contest will follow the federal candidates on the ballot; in other words, Republicans will have to leave the column in order to vote for him.

  • No one can be sure but it may be that Gardner would have survived the publication of his arrest record, but once exposed he quit the race. That might have ended the matter, but Kevin Cramer couldn’t keep his mouth shut, and he rushed to Gardner’s defense, calling him a good man and suggesting that he could be a candidate in another election some other time.

  • Cramer is the candidate for the U.S. Senate, the top of the ticket race. His defense of Gardner didn’t do either of them any good politically; Gardner was a gone goose by the time Cramer said anything, and Cramer’s statement raised questions about his own political judgment, a quality already in question. Cramer consistently displays a premature naïve enthusiasm.

  • Cramer has been an uncritical supporter of Donald Trump, not a political liability in itself, except that he’s been obsequious about it, suggesting, for example, that the president deserved the Nobel Peace Prize even before the North Korean summit. He was also an early apologist for Scott Pruitt, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, whose latest policy initiative is to end the renewable fuels standard, a move that would have a wallet-draining effect on North Dakota farmers.

  • The standard is an example of how a little appreciated provision, like a well-placed bush, can cause the political winds to shift. Other examples include looming trade wars, one with China, which buys a big share of North Dakota’s soybean crop, and one with Canada and Mexico over the North American Free Trade Agreement. Despite initial opposition from the state’s congressional delegation, all Democrats at the time, NAFTA has proven to be very good for North Dakota. To these add the farm bill, defeated in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and resurrected in the Senate.

  • It’s a sign of frustration that Republicans whined about Trump’s attention to Heitkamp, and there were worried suggestions that the president might forego campaigning against her, a decision that might doom Cramer’s chances.

ICYMI: North Dakota Businesses Are Forced to Bear the Costs of Washington’s Trade War

(BISMARCK, ND) – North Dakotans are starting to feel the effects of Washington’s budding trade war, according to a recent article featured in the Fargo Forum. Companies large and small are experiencing increased uncertainty, rising steel and aluminum prices and fewer customers willing to purchase their products. Now that the gloves have come off in this long-brewing trade dispute, local business owners are expressing concern that North Dakota jobs may be at stake. Rather than stepping in to protect North Dakota’s businesses, Kevin Cramer has given them the cold shoulder – dismissing their anxiety as “hysteria.”

Cramer’s devotion to toeing the party line is clearly more important to him than representing the interests of North Dakotans. As his constituents are forced to tighten their belts, Cramer has gone so far as to suggest that North Dakota’s farmers are objecting to the administration’s trade war because they have a low threshold for pain. The fact is, Kevin Cramer is so distracted by chasing a promotion that he’s unable to be an effective voice for North Dakota’s farmers and manufacturers.

Heidi Heitkamp, on the other hand, is speaking up on behalf of all North Dakotans, coming out strongly against the administration’s reckless and harmful trade policies. Heidi understands that North Dakotans are tough – but she also knows there’s no reason for them to be the first victims of Washington’s trade war. That’s why she’s building bonds across the aisle, leading a coalition dedicated to protecting the country’s farmers and manufacturers from the White House’s ill-advised plan.

Read a quick recap of the article below:

Forum: North Dakota, Minnesota companies feel effects of tariffs

  • “It’s been pretty difficult lately, because things have been so up and down in D.C.,” said Stacey Breuer, a spokesperson for Bobcat, the heavy equipment manufacturer that employs 3,000 workers in four North Dakota cities. New tariffs coincide with rising steel prices, which have crept upwards for months on market uncertainty, she said.

  • Those concerns echo throughout the market, from companies as big as Bobcat to those as small as Wheatland Steel and Trim, a Tower City, N.D., company specializing in steel roofing and siding. Moses Wipf, a manager with Wheatland, said farmers might want to build themselves a new pole barn, but the increased price of steel—and a lull in corn and soybean prices—might put it out of reach.

  • The same goes for TrueNorth Steel, which has corporate offices in West Fargo. Company president Dan Kadrmas said he was at the White House not long ago to celebrate the benefits of the GOP tax overhaul, but these new tariffs have his company scrambling.

  • Simon Wilson is executive director of the North Dakota Trade Office. Like Breuer, he underscored how much uncertainty recent months’ talk of tariffs has injected into the market. And now, with the U.S. actually trading economic punches with its allies, he said jobs are at stake. He shared the story of a central North Dakota business, which he declined to identify, that’s heavily dependent on aluminum. The new tariffs could mean layoffs, he said. “It (has) a local community effect,” he said “People have less hours on the production line, they have less money to spend.”

  • Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., has also voiced concern over growing trade tensions, recently meeting with the Mexican ambassador to the U.S. and leading state agriculture producers. “We need smart trade policies to allow our farmers to reach new markets — not tariffs and hostility toward our top trading partners — and this meeting was a good opportunity for our partners in Mexico to hear that North Dakota farmers want to continue a strong trade partnership that keeps our rural communities strong,” she said in a statement.

Cramer: ND Farmers “Don’t Have a Very High Pain Threshold”

As the Cramer-backed trade war heats up, North Dakota farmers need an ally

(BISMARCK, ND) — First, he attacked the White House. Now, Kevin Cramer is going after North Dakota’s farmers.

In recent comments reported after Senator Heidi Heitkamp brokered a meeting between North Dakota farmers and the Mexican Embassy, Kevin Cramer defended misguided and irresponsible trade policies by trying to shift the blame onto Americans who “don’t have a very high pain threshold.”

That’s easy for him to say, since it’s not his livelihood on the line. While farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers worry about how they will provide for their families, Kevin Cramer has a big money backer to make sure his campaign coffers are full.

“I’ll tell you who doesn’t have a high tolerance for pain: Kevin Cramer. Any time he doesn’t get exactly what he wants or confronted by facts that go against his narrative, the Congressman lashes out,” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “North Dakota’s farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers need certainty in the market and deserve a representative in Washington who will fight for them. Kevin Cramer is willing to trade the financial security of farming families. That’s not sticking up for North Dakota.”

UFFDA: Three Takeaways from Kevin Cramer’s White House Temper Tantrum

Kevin Cramer, call your office…

(BISMARCK, ND) — If you thought you’d seen Kevin Cramer come unglued before, think again. Once again proving his sole interest is promoting himself over getting results for North Dakotans, Kevin Cramer is now in a public feud with the White House because…he’s mad he’s not getting enough attention.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Kevin Cramer continued lashing out at the White House – throwing another embarrassing bitter temper tantrum and accusing the White House of everything from being responsible for GOP legislative failures to working with Senator Heitkamp because she’s a woman. Here are three things we learned:

  1. Kevin Cramer would rather throw bitter temper tantrums than get results for North Dakota. Instead of working to pass a strong Farm Bill – which recently failed in the House with his help – Cramer is picking petty political fights. He’s shown time and again that rather than being a serious legislator or standing up for North Dakota farmers and ranchers, he’d rather climb the political ladder.

  2. Kevin Cramer is burning bridges with the White House – continuing his feud with the president’s top legislative aide. Rather than owning the blame for the GOP’s shortcomings, Kevin Cramer is blaming the White House. And he’s picking public fights with President Trump’s top legislative aide – somebody who’d be a valuable ally to a Congressman interested in passing legislation. But that’s not Cramer.

  3. Kevin Cramer thinks President Trump is holding off on Senator Heitkamp because… she’s a woman. This bizarre theory speaks for itself and Cramer’s very thin skin.

Read more below:

Washington Post: ‘It’s obscene’: GOP candidate seethes as Trump embraces Democratic senator

  • President Trump is aggressively campaigning for Republican Senate candidates around the country and belittling their Democratic rivals, with one notable exception — North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp.

  • Upset, Cramer contacted White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly to appeal for political help and traded warning shots with Trump’s legislative affairs director, Marc Short.

  • Cramer says he believes Trump is giving Heitkamp preferential treatment because she is a woman.

  • The tension between the White House and Cramer could have implications for GOP control of the Senate in November’s midterm elections and has exposed friction within the White House, pitting the legislative operation intent on securing the support of centrist Democrats against a political team determined to oust them.

  • Cramer’s unusual chat with Kelly occurred on June 1, two days after he had disparaged Short in a local radio interview, largely blaming him for the way the White House had treated him and questioning Short’s abilities.

  • This upset Short, who quickly brought the interview to the attention of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

  • “I think he’s better spending his time focused on his opponent than on a White House staffer who has zero percent name ID in North Dakota. But that’s up to him,” Short said in an interview.

  • Trump has made campaign stops in Indiana, Missouri and Tennessee in recent months, but he has not campaigned in North Dakota and has steered clear of mocking Heitkamp the way he has with other Democrats.

“He begged me”: Cramer Tries to Muddy the Waters About Motivations for Senate Run

Kevin Cramer previously admitted he got into the race because of Harold Hamm

(BISMARCK, ND) — Kevin Cramer (R-Harold Hamm) really, really wants some love from President Donald Trump. But it looks like he’s going about it all the wrong ways – last month, he lashed out at the president’s top aide for GOP legislative failures.

Now, he’s even telling the Associated Press that the president “begged” him to run for the Senate – wining and dining him at a fancy, Washington, D.C. meal.

But we all know that Cramer didn’t get into the race for the president or for, you know, North Dakotans – as WDAY reported, Cramer got into the race at the urging of out-of-statebillionaire, Harold Hamm.

That’s right – it wasn’t the president or his constituents that got him into the race. It was a pledge from an out-of-state billionaire to bankroll his campaign that got Cramer to do an about-face on his Senate campaign.

“Make no bones about it – Kevin Cramer is so full of Kevin Cramer that he actually thinks he’s better than the president, this time claiming that the president ‘begged’ him to get into the race. But Cramer has been and always will be more motivated by his own pocketbook, getting into the race only when an out-of-state billionaire asked him to,” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “Cramer has never been interested in getting results for North Dakota, and his ineffectiveness was center stage has the Farm Bill failed spectacularly in the House. Cramer should spend less time currying favor with Harold Hamm and more time working across the aisle — and maybe even with the president — to pass a strong Farm Bill that’ll give certainty to North Dakota’s ag producers.”

When deciding not to run for Senate the first time, Cramer had said he couldn’t effectively fight for a strong Farm Bill at the same time he ran a competitive statewide campaign. And it looks like he’s right – Cramer failed to pass a Farm Bill in the House. It just looks like a fat campaign contribution from Harold Hamm was more important than the wellbeing of North Dakota farmers and ranchers.

Jaeger In Violation of Court Order Leading Up to Primary

The North Dakota Secretary of State did not implement a voter education program despite a federal judge’s orders

(BISMARCK, ND) — Lawyers for North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger admitted to ignoring a ruling from a George W. Bush-appointed federal judge that ordered the state to implement a voter education program to clear up confusion surrounding voter ID requirements.

As North Dakotans prepare to vote in Tuesday’s primary election, confusion remains for many voters who want to cast their ballot in a legal way. While the state has been stuck in a costly and ongoing court battle, Jaeger’s office has not taken the proactive steps ordered by District Court Chief Judge Hovland to ensure eligible voters have the information they need.

“Al Jaeger is acting like he is above the law by not implementing a court-mandated voter education program,” said Scott McNeil, North Dakota Democratic-NPL Executive Director. “On Tuesday, thousands of North Dakotans will walk into their polling places without the certainty that their voice will be heard. North Dakota deserves a Secretary of State that follows the law and puts the integrity of our elections first. This sort of incompetence is why Republicans decided to kick him to the curb at their convention, only to come crawling back when Will Gardner’s past became public. Al Jaeger might be too busy gathering enough signatures so he can appear on November’s ballot to follow Judge Hovland’s ruling, but that is no excuse for ignoring the law.”

Republicans Seek to Gut ACA Pre-Existing Conditions Through Courts—After the Midterms

The administration seeks to strip away protections for people with pre-existing conditions — where does Kevin Cramer stand?

(BISMARCK, ND) — When Washington Republicans stripped provisions from the Affordable Care Act in their budget busting tax bill, they raised costs for hardworking North Dakota families. Now, they are going after the folks who need protection from exorbitant premium increases the most: seniors and patients with pre-existing conditions.

But to make sure Washington Republicans don’t take a political hit, the Justice Department took an extra step and asked a federal court not to implement the action until after the midterm elections.

“This is what Kevin Cramer voted for — higher costs and fewer protections for North Dakotans,” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “The Republican tax bill is a massive giveaway to out-of-state corporate executives, is expanding the national debt, and now is being used to rip health care away from the families and seniors who need it most. But Kevin Cramer is running ads that tout his support for the legislation, while failing to acknowledge the thousands of North Dakotans who are at risk of losing or paying even more for their health care. The underhanded way that Republicans are going about the systematic dismantling of an important safety net is disturbing.”

Politico: Trump administration backs court case to overturn key Obamacare provisions

  • The Trump administration is urging a federal court to dismantle two of the most popular provisions of Obamacare, but to delay taking such drastic action until after the midterm elections this fall.

  • Responding to a lawsuit from conservative states seeking to invalidate the Affordable Care Act, the Justice Department told a judge in Texas on Thursdaythat Congress’ decision to repeal the penalty for failing to buy health insurance renders unconstitutional other Obamacare language banning insurers from charging people more or denying them coverage based on a pre-existing condition.

  • The Texas-led lawsuit filed in February claims that the recent elimination of Obamacare’s individual mandate penalty means that the whole health care law should now be ruled invalid. The mandate penalty was wiped out effective in 2019 as part of the GOP tax law passed late last year, H.R. 1 (115).

  • The administration’s evening filing says it agrees with states bringing the suit that the individual mandate is unconstitutional, as are two of the law’s major insurance provisions meant to protect people with expensive medical conditions. With the filing, the Trump administration is asking the courts to wipe out protections that many congressional Republicans were wary of eliminating in their failed efforts to repeal Obamacare.

  • “I am at a loss for words to explain how big of a deal this is,” University of Michigan health law professor Nicholas Bagley, an authority on Obamacare, wrote on Twitter. “The Justice Department has a durable, longstanding, bipartisan commitment to defending the law when non-frivolous arguments can be made in its defense. This brief torches that commitment.”