The Obama administration says that it  couldn’t repair the damage that would result from a Supreme Court decision against subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Striking down the subsidies would make insurance unaffordable for millions of Americans.

The justices are expected to rule by the end of June on whether residents in at least 34 U.S. states are eligible for federal tax subsidies.  Oral arguments are scheduled for March 4.

Some states are madly scrabbling to address what could be a chaotic and angry situation if millions lose their insurance. The Republicans fear that they’ll be blamed more than would the Democrats.

Republican plaintiffs argue that the federal funds cannot pay for insurance in states that didn’t create their own insurance exchanges and instead rely on the Feds’ HealthCare.gov Web site.