The Latest: Trump, anti-'Obamacare' states file arguments

The Latest on a court fight over former President Barack Obama's health care law (all times local):

4:20 p.m.

The Trump administration and a group of Republican-led states challenging former President Barack Obama's health care law have asked a federal appeals court to uphold a ruling that the law is unconstitutional.

Their written arguments were filed Wednesday afternoon at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor struck down the Affordable Care Act in December, ruling in favor of Texas and other states that oppose the law. They say the law was rendered unconstitutional when Congress in 2017 reduced to zero the penalty for not having insurance.

The U.S. House and other, mostly Democratic-led states appealed.

The administration in its filing acknowledges it's shifted its legal reasoning, while giving little explanation. The administration had argued initially that only parts of the law should be invalidated.

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3:30 p.m.

Republican-led states challenging former President Barack Obama's health care law have asked a federal appeals court to uphold a judge's ruling that the law is unconstitutional.

Their written arguments were filed Wednesday afternoon at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. The Trump administration is expected to weigh in with briefs before a midnight filing deadline.

U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor struck down the Affordable Care Act in December, ruling in favor of Texas and other states that oppose the law. They say the law was rendered unconstitutional when Congress reduced its penalty for not having insurance to zero in 2017.

The U.S. House and other, mostly Democratic-led states appealed.

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11:55 a.m.

The Trump administration and several Republican-led states face a midnight deadline for filing papers with a federal appeals panel reviewing a lower court ruling that former President Barack Obama's health care law is unconstitutional.

The administration has switched its stance in the case, telling the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that it believes the Affordable Care Act law should be struck down completely. The administration had argued initially that only key parts of the law, such as protection for pre-existing conditions, should be invalidated.

U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor struck down the law in December, ruling in a case filed by Texas and other Republican-led states. The U.S. House and several Democratic-led states appealed.

The case is expected to eventually reach the Supreme Court.