Court rejects challenge to healthcare overhaul (The Lookout)

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. AP Photo/Steve Helber

A federal appeals court has thrown out one of the more high-profile challenges to President Obama's healthcare overhaul.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit rejected a lawsuit brought on behalf of the state of Virginia by its attorney general, Ken Cuccinelli, a conservative Republican.

The court did not make a judgment on the constitutionality of the law, or of the specific provision being challenged -- the "individual mandate", which requires that almost all Americans buy health insurance. Rather, it ruled that Virginia does not have the right to challenge a superceding federal law.

A lower court judge had previously ruled the mandate to be unconstitutional.

Several other courts have weighed in on similar lawsuits, with rulings on both sides of the issue. It's widely expected that the controversy will ultimately be resolved by the Supreme Court, perhaps as soon as next June.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110908/us_yblog_thelookout/court-rejects-challenge-to-healthcare-overhaul

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