One of the primary arguments made by Republicans against Obamacare was that the requirement that individuals carry insurance was unconstitutional.
Today U.S. District Court Judge Henry Hudson agreed:
The Obama administration’s requirement that most citizens maintain minimum health coverage as part of a broad overhaul of the industry is unconstitutional because it forces people to buy insurance, a federal judge ruled, striking down the linchpin of the president’s plan.
U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson in Richmond, Virginia, said today that the requirement in President Barack Obama’s health-care legislation goes beyond Congress’s powers to regulate interstate commerce. While severing the coverage mandate, Hudson didn’t address other provisions such as expanding Medicaid that are unrelated to it. He didn’t order the government to stop work on putting the remainder of the law into effect. (read the rest)
Not a complete win for those opposing the law, but at least a validation of that particular argument. It will be interesting to see how the U.S. Supreme Court will rule on appeal.
Anyway, thank you Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli for spearheading this. I wish Iowa’s Attorney General, Tom Miller, would have joined you.
HT: Drudge Report