Appeals court rules Obama health care law is constitutional
Agrees to toss religious suit
11/8/2011WASHINGTON — A conservative-leaning panel of federal appellate judges is upholding President Barack Obama's health care law as constitutional, helping set up a Supreme Court fight.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued a split opinion Tuesday upholding the law. The court agreed to dismiss a Christian legal group's lawsuit claiming the requirement that all Americans get health insurance is unconstitutional and violates religious freedom.
The requirement has been the subject of several lawsuits, some which have ruled it unconstitutional and others that have upheld the law. That means the Supreme Court is sure to decide the fate of Obama's signature law. The court is expected to soon decide whether to accept appeals from some of those earlier rulings.