A federal district court judge in Florida declared the healthcare reform law unconstitutional this afternoon. Judge Vinson issued the summary judgment in the Florida attorney general’s lawsuit to have PPACA declared unconstitutional. Judge Vinson, in the court’s Pensacola division, wrote: “The existing problems in our national health care system are recognized by everyone in this case. There is widespread sentiment for positive improvements that will reduce costs, improve the quality of care, and expand availability in a way that the nation can afford. This is obviously a very difficult task. Regardless of how laudable its attempts may have been to accomplish these goals in passing the Act, Congress must operate within the bounds established by the Constitution…. For the reasons stated, I must reluctantlly conclude that Congress exceeded the bounds of its authority in passing the Act with the individual mandate…. Because the individual mandate is unconstitutional and not severable, the entire Act must be declared void. This has been a difficult decision to reach, and I am ware that it will have indetermnable implications.” Click here for Judge Vinson’s full 78-page decision: http://web.me.com/asgoldberg1/filechute/flahcreform.pdf. Â
