Appellate judges who will hear ‘Obamacare’ suit identified

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — An appeals court has identified the three judges who will hear arguments next week in a frontal assault on President Barack Obama's signature health care law.

A federal judge in Texas struck down the entire law last year, although it has remained in effect pending appeal.

Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judges Carolyn Dineen King, Jennifer Walker Elrod and Kurt Engelhardt will hear arguments July 9.

King was nominated to the appeals court by President Jimmy Carter in 1979. Elrod was nominated by President George W. Bush in 2007. Engelhardt was nominated by President Donald Trump last year.

At issue is whether or not the whole Affordable Care Act was rendered unconstitutional when Congress reduced to zero the tax penalty for failing to have health insurance.