The VLW Blog

The United States Supreme Court has upheld the federal health care law, finding the critical individual mandate provision valid under Congress’ taxing powers, although not under its power to regulate commerce. Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who opposed the health care law, initially said the court’s decision marked a “dark day for American liberty.” Later, [...]

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Just in time for President Obama’s visit to Richmond Friday, the 4th U.S Circuit of Appeals has delivered two opinions upholding the president’s healthcare plan against challenges from both the state and from Liberty University. The three-judge panel that heard the cases determined Virginia had no standing to speak for citizens subject to a healthcare [...]

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A Republican appointee joined a Democratic appointee Wednesday for a 2-to-1 panel decision upholding the federal health care law in the first ruling on the program from a federal appeals court. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals delivered the victory for the Obama administration, affirming the decision of a federal judge in Michigan. Two [...]

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The federal government’s top appellate lawyer, Acting Solicitor General Neal K. Katyal, will defend the constitutionality of the federal health care law in two cases before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday. His adversaries will be Mathew D. Staver, dean of the Liberty University law school, and Virginia Solicitor General E. Duncan [...]

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The U.S. Supreme Court has denied Virginia’s request for fast track consideration of the state’s challenge to the federal health care program. No opinion or dissents accompanied the brief announcement Monday that the “petition for a writ of certiorari before judgment” filed by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli was denied. “The Supreme Court rarely expedites cases [...]

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Lawyers for the commonwealth and the federal government took two different views of the so-called individual mandate in argument today over the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, perhaps better known as Obamacare. Virginia Solicitor General E. Duncan Getchell Jr. contended that the requirement that an individual have insurance or pay a [...]

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While cheering on Virginia’s lawsuit to block the Obama administration’s healthcare reforms, Gov. Bob McDonnell says he wants to explore ways to make healthcare affordable “in an economically responsible manner.” To that end, McDonnell today announced the 24 members of his Virginia Health Reform Initiative Advisory Council, headed by Secretary of Health and Human Services [...]

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