Two federal court rulings on challenges to the healthcare reform law—one upholding it and the other striking down part of it – are entering oral arguments on the appellate level, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Three judges appointed to the bench by Democratic presidents will hear the arguments. Lower court decisions on the law have followed party lines, with judges appointed by Republican presidents ruling against the law and Democratic-appointed judges ruling in favor of it.
Arguments center on whether the law's mandate to buy insurance is permissible under the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The administration's solicitor general, who usually appears only for Supreme Court cases, is defending the law in the appeals hearings.
Read the Bloomberg report on the healthcare reform law.
Related articles on legal challenges of the healthcare reform law:
Supreme Court Won't Fast-Track Reform Challenge
Appeals Court Hearing on Health Reform Law Set for June 8White House Files Appeal of Judge's Reform Rejection