A federal judge in Florida has rejected the Obama Administration’s motion to dismiss a challenge to the new health care reform law brought by 20 state attorneys general and four governors.
In State of Florida v. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson ruled that two key claims could go forward: the states’ claim that the individual mandate to purchase coverage exceeds Congress’ commerce clause power and violates the Ninth and 10th Amendments, and the claim that the act unconstitutionally coerces and commandeers the states with respect to the Medicaid program. The state attorneys general had made six claims in their lawsuit.
