Not sure I track it. Did the tax law eliminate the mandate, or eliminate the fine but leave the mandate? If the latter, then the argument makes sense.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton would make a great replacement for Jeff Sessions. He is on the ball.
Since the mandate was a tax they were able to repeal it with a simple majority. It doesn't go into effect until 2019.
The man-date still exists (much to Ebola’s pleasure); they changed the penalty amount to $0.