2 0 1 2 ) ▁which ▁ruled ▁that ▁the ▁individual ▁mand ate ▁was ▁constitution al ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁tax ▁penalty . ▁ ▁The ▁penalty ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁$ 0 ▁by ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁tax ▁bill ▁starting ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 9 . ▁The ▁r uling ▁was ▁de emed ▁likely ▁to ▁be ▁appe aled , ▁with ▁both ▁Republican ▁and ▁Democratic ▁legal ▁exper ts ▁saying ▁that ▁the ▁legal ▁challenge ▁to ▁the ▁Aff ord able ▁Care ▁Act ▁was ▁unlikely ▁to ▁succeed . ▁The ▁Aff ord able ▁Care ▁Act ▁would ▁remain ▁in ▁effect ▁throughout ▁the ▁appe als ▁process . ▁President ▁Donald ▁Trump ▁comm ended ▁the ▁r uling ▁on ▁Twitter . ▁ ▁Leg al ▁exper ts ▁who ▁both ▁support ▁and ▁opp ose ▁the ▁Aff ord able ▁Care ▁Act ▁har sh ly ▁critic ized ▁O ' Con nor ' s ▁r uling , ▁with ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post ▁not ing ▁that ▁legal ▁sch ol ars ▁considered ▁O ' Con nor ' s ▁r uling ▁" as ▁a ▁tort ured ▁effort ▁to ▁rewrite ▁not ▁just ▁the ▁law ▁but ▁con gression al ▁history ." ▁Ted ▁Frank , ▁director ▁of ▁lit ig ation ▁at ▁the ▁conserv ative ▁Compet itive ▁Enter prise ▁Institute ▁said ▁the ▁r uling ▁was ▁" emb arr ass ingly ▁bad ." ▁Nicholas ▁Bag ley ▁said ▁O ' Con nor ' s ▁r uling ▁was ▁" about ▁as ▁n aked ▁a ▁piece ▁of ▁jud icial ▁activ ism ▁as ▁I ▁have ▁ever ▁seen ; ▁I ▁don ’ t ▁even ▁think ▁it ’ s ▁close ." ▁Jonathan ▁H .