The Obamacare lawsuit filed by House Republicans has been virtually assured victory, with the federal appeals court postponing further action on the lawsuit until after President-elect Trump is inaugurated.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has put the lawsuit on hold until Feb. 21, a month after Trump is scheduled to take office, meaning the Obama administration can no longer try to reverse a ruling upholding it.

The lawsuit seeks to block the law's federal subsidies that help low-income Americans pay for out-of-pocket costs that come with their health plans. Last spring, U.S. District Court Judge Rosemary Collyer ruled in favor of Republicans, who charged that the Obama administration unconstitutionally awarded the funds to insurers even though they hadn't been allocated by Congress.

House Republicans had asked the appeals court last month to delay further proceedings until late February. The issue may become moot, if Congress votes to repeal most of the Affordable Care Act next year under the new administration.