On Monday, January 31, Judge Roger Vinson of the Northern District of Florida issued a ruling that the “individual mandate” – requiring everyone to purchase health insurance – of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is unconstitutional because it exceeds Congress’ authority under the Interstate Commerce Clause and the Necessary and Proper Clause of the United States Constitution.
Below are highlights from statements released on Monday following the court ruling:
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott – “This is a great day for liberty and the vitality of the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution limits Congressional power, and in this case, Congress exceeded its power. As Judge Vinson’s decision made clear, Congress cannot regulate inactivity under the Commerce Clause, and therefore exceeded its Constitutionally-set boundaries by requiring all Americans – against their will – to buy government-approved health insurance.”
Governor Rick Perry – “Today’s ruling represents a victory in the ongoing effort to end federal intrusion into the lives of every American through this one-size-fits-all approach to health care reform. I applaud the judge’s decision, which affirms that the federal government’s attempt to force individuals to buy government-approved health insurance is an egregious violation of our Constitutional rights.”
Speaker Joe Straus – “I am pleased that the federal court agreed with Texas and 25 other states that the federal healthcare law is unconstitutional, and I thank Attorney General Greg Abbott for his strong leadership on this issue.”
Legislative Study Group – “if a portion is found unconstitutional and non-severable, then the entire Act is invalidated. Therefore, if the Supreme Court were to rule the same way, the entire PPACA would be repealed: everything from the individual mandate to health exchanges to student loan reform would be invalidated. It must be noted that this decision is only “declaratory” in nature, which means that, substantively, nothing has changed. Essentially, none of these rulings affect the law in any way; they are simply part of the process of transporting the suit to the Supreme Court, which will ultimately decide the fate of the law, probably in late 2012.”