District Judge Roger Vinson today issued a ruling that would strike down the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In declaring the entire law unconstitutional, Judge Vinson’s decision goes even further than Judge Hudson’s ruling last year in Virginia, but is at odds with two other federal district courts which upheld the law on constitutional grounds. In the meantime, the law will remain in effect until an injunction or stay is ordered. People For the American Way Foundation President Michael B. Keegan issued the following statement:

“Today’s ruling is a superb example of why it’s so important to make sure that the men and women who serve as judges in our federal courts keep faith with our Constitution instead of pushing their own particular ideology from the bench. The Constitution gives Congress broad powers under the Commerce Clause to pass laws regulating business and protecting the American people, but Judge Vinson’s decision reflects a cramped view of that provision well outside the mainstream.

“I hope that Americans take this as an important reminder of the importance of having judges on the federal court who understand that the law and the Constitution serve all Americans, not just the powerful and the privileged.”

 

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