Florida Judge Says Health Overhaul Should Continue
PENSACOLA (CBS4) - Pensacola U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson said Thursday that states have to continue implementing the new health care overhaul, even though he ruled it unconstitutional, while the case is in appeals.
Vinson heard the case brought by 25 states, including Florida, which sought to overturn the health care law passed by Congress.
Vinson's ruling was lauded by tea party members and conservatives who cheered his activism in overturning the law, while also criticizing other judges for their judicial activism.
Obama administration attorneys were given one week to appeal the original decision. If they don't meet that deadline, Vinson said the state can consider the law invalid.
Florida Governor Rick Scott, a former health care company CEO, has already said he won't begin implementing the new laws. He ran against what he termed, "Obamacare," as one of his central tenets in his campaign.
Judge Vinson said it's in the best interest of the United States to continue with the health overhaul while the cases work their way up to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Vinson and a federal judge in Virginia ruled the law unconstitutional, but at least three other judges said the law is legal under the Commerce Clause in the U.S. Constitution.
