Fla. judge refuses to halt new healthcare law

[Roger Perry]

MIAMI — A judge put on hold his ruling that President Barack Obama's sweeping healthcare law was unconstitutional pending appeal, allowing the White House to continue implementing the reforms aimed at lowering soaring healthcare costs.

But U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson ordered the administration to seek within the next week an expedited appellate review of his Jan. 31 ruling, which favored arguments by 26 states that requiring Americans to buy health insurance starting in 2014 or pay a penalty was unconstitutional.

The Obama administration previously has said it would appeal the Florida judge's ruling and continue implementing the law, which includes provisions allowing young adults to remain on their parents' healthcare insurance and prevents insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing medical conditions.
Vinson, who was appointed to the bench by Republican President Ronald Reagan, is alone in having ruled that the entire Affordable Care Act should be struck down.
In his order on Thursday, Vinson said the highly-politicized case is expected to eventually reach the Supreme Court.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41890606/ns/politics-more_politics/

[BonMallari]

its on a fast track to the Supreme Court....the ball is rolling

[BrianW]

He gave them a 7 day "stay" in which they were ordered to request an expedited appeal.

Judge Vinson wrote Thursday that his initial order “was as clear and unambiguous as it could be” and that the federal government had no right “to basically ignore” it. He had written that his ruling should be viewed as the “functional equivalent” of an injunction, which would typically stop the law in its tracks.
So he "clarifed" all right, After 7 days O-care implementation has to stop unless the appeal has been filed. Hardly the major victory that the media is declaring.

[huntinman]

Typical libs, got spanked...and try to tell the public it was a victory for THEM:rolleyes:

[Eric Johnson]

Roger-

It is obvious that listening to the popular media, one might think that Judge Vinson had sided with the Obama administration. However, you need to actually read the order to understand what he did.

He has declared the act unconstitutional. Rather than appealing this ruling, the administration has continued to implement the act and in response to the suit, has dragged it's heels in filing the appeal. What Judge Vinson said is that all of their delaying tactics are good for 7 more days. Within that time, they must appeal to the 11th Circuit or file an expedited appeal to the Supreme Court. What he will do if they don't comply hasn't been revealed but it may include the injunction that he refused to grant on 1/31.

Basically, Judge Vinson told the Obama administration to "sh-- or get off the pot". It was hardly a "win" for the Obama administration. it was more like a stay of execution.

Eric