Justice Department Seeks Clarification Of Florida Health-Care Ruling

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WSJ:

The Justice Department on Thursday asked a federal trial judge to clarify the immediate impact of his ruling last month that declared the new health-care law unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson, considering a challenge to the health-care overhaul by a group of 26 states, ruled on Jan. 31 that the law must be declared void. He ruled unconstitutional the law's requirement that individuals carry health coverage or pay a penalty.

Vinson did not issue an injunction halting the health law, but he suggested that his ruling effectively functioned as one.

The Obama administration and some states have disagreed on whether Vinson's decision meant that implementation of the law must stop while the case continues.

In a 19-page filing Thursday, the Justice Department asked Vinson to clarify what he meant.

The department said it did not believe the ruling relieved the states of their obligations under the law. It said that if the judge intended to halt the law's implementation, the government would consider seeking a temporary stay of the ruling while it appealed the case.

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Obama is busier than ever with fires.