A federal judge in Florida dealt President Obama's healthcare overhaul a sweeping blow Monday, ruling the law unconstitutional because of its requirement that Americans have health insurance starting in 2014.
U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson declined to suspend the law but said the government should abide by his ruling, potentially complicating implementation in some states.
The Washington lawyer who represented the 26 states in the lawsuit said the ruling freed them from complying with its provisions, including requirements not to cut people from their Medicaid programs, as some governors say they want to do.
"For the 26 states that were parties to this suit, the entire statute is dead," said David B. Rivkin Jr. "The decision has immediate force, and it means all the new Medicaid stuff is gone."
Obama administration officials disputed Rivkin's analysis and indicated they would appeal Vinson's decision.
"We don't believe this kind of judicial activism will be upheld and we are confident that the Affordable Care Act will ultimately be declared constitutional," Assistant to the President Stephanie Cutter said in a White House blog post.
With lower federal courts divided, the fate of Obama's signature domestic achievement will probably be decided by the Supreme Court, which could rule as soon as next year.
I hope this ball is picked up and run with ....... into the Endzone. Groundwork has been laid, let's get on our lawmakers, representatives and congressmen ..................
