Key justices on the U.S. Supreme Court seemed skeptical Tuesday morning of Texas’ argument that if one key provision of the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, the entirety of the sprawling health law must fall. He pointed to various pieces of the law which describe the individual mandate as an “essential” part of the law that powers the rest of its functions. Whether the individual mandate itself survives was less clear. Texas has won early success in the case, with a federal judge declaring the entire law unconstitutional in a ruling that has been put on pause as litigation proceeds. Hawkins, who argued for Texas at the high court on Tuesday, is one of a few senior deputies who remained at the agency after the scandal.

The high court ruled eight years ago to leave intact the essential components of the law known as “Obamacare,” but Trump and his Republican allies are seeking to have it overturned. Trump and his allies seemed determined to make Biden’s transition as difficult as possible. French President Emmanuel Macron met with Biden via video conference and German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also congratulated Biden on his election. The closed-door meeting marked the first time a Biden transition official has addressed the full Senate caucus since last week’s election. The GSA inaction could continue to deny Biden security briefings, which he received periodically before the election, as well as delaying security clearances and staffing decisions.

On Thursday, the Trump administration is expected to file papers with the Supreme Court arguing that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. Trying to overturn a health insurance expansion providing coverage to about 20 million people was wrong any time, Pelosi said. It would financially squeeze some states that have refused to expand Medicaid under the health law. Democrats won control of the House in 2018 on their defense of the health care law. Republicans at all levels own this lawsuits attack on Americans health care, said the memo.