McCollum Praises Ruling in Virginia Health Care Suit, Hopes for Similar Decision in Florida Case

Attorney General Bill McCollum lauded Judge Henry Hudson's ruling Monday striking down a portion of the federal health-care overhaul. McCollum and 19 other attorneys general have a pending lawsuit against the law. Oral arguments are expected in that case on Thursday.

I am pleased to see Judge Hudsons order finding the individual mandate to be an unconstitutional exercise of Congress powers. While Judge Hudson struck the individual mandate, the lawsuit brought by 20 states before Judge Vinson in Pensacola, Fla., challenges both the individual mandate and the costly Medicaid portions of [the] federal health-care act.

The implementation of this law could add more than 1.9 million Floridians to the Medicaid program, a tremendous financial burden on our state at a time when our budget has no room for extra expenses. As our lawsuit heads to oral argument this Thursday, I am hopeful we will obtain a favorable decision that will strike down the individual mandate and also halt the hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars required to be spent by states to implement the Affordable Care Act, McCollum said.