US Federal Judge Rules Against Portion Of New Health Care Law
By: Stephen Crews
Updated: December 13, 2010
A U.S. judge in Virginia on Monday invalidated a key part of the
landmark healthcare law that requires individuals to buy health
insurance, the first major setback for President Barack Obama on an
issue that will likely end up at the Supreme Court.
U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson, appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush in 2002, backed arguments by the state of Virginia that Congress exceeded its authority by requiring that individuals buy health insurance or face a fine.
The decision is the first finding against the law that was passed in March and aimed at overhauling the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system. Judges in other states have rejected other challenges to the law.
