December 13, 2010 —
Health Care Reform Headed to the Supreme Court
News just broke that a federal judge in Virginia has ruled that parts of Washington’s health care reform bill are unconstitutional. The case, brought by the state of Virginia, challenged the individual mandate portion of the bill.
This ruling means that the case will be sent to the Supreme Court, which can decide to take up the case or let the ruling stand. What makes this case especially important is that the bill lacks a clause that lets portions of the bill stand on their own. In other words, if a portion of the bill is ruled unconstitutional, the entire bill would be struck down.
This news isn’t reason enough to chill the champagne just yet. But it’s an important step. We’ll keep you updated on the legal challenges and the legislative efforts to repeal and replace.