FOR

 IMMEDIATE  RELEASE                                                                                                                                                                CONTACT:    Todd  Mitchell  

February  4,  2011                                                                                                                                                                                                                    202-­‐544-­‐8974  

LANCE  CALLS  FOR  EXPEDITED  REVIEW    

OF  HEALTH  CARE  LAW  BY  U.S.  SUPREME  COURT    
 
WASHINGTON,  DC  —  Congressman  Leonard  Lance  today  announced  he  will  introduce  a  measure  next  week  that  
asks  the  U.S.  Supreme  Court  to  rule  expeditiously  on  the  controversial  health  care  overhaul  signed  into  law  by  
President  Obama  last  year.  
 
“The  U.S.  Supreme  Court  should  quickly  decide  the  constitutionality  of  the  disputed  health  care  reform  law,”  
Lance  said.    “Whether  you  support  or  oppose  the  new  law  we  should  all  agree  that  a  prompt  resolution  is  
needed  and  necessary  to  bring  certainty  in  this  area.”  
 
In  a  case  jointly  involving  26  states,  a  federal  judge  in  Florida  ruled  Monday  that  the  health  care  law  
unconstitutional.    That  decision  came  on  the  heels  of  a  December  ruling  by  a  U.S.  District  judge  in  Virginia  that  
the  requirement  for  individuals  to  buy  health  insurance  was  an  unprecedented  and  unconstitutional  expansion  of  
federal  power  beyond  Congress'  authority  to  regulate  interstate  commerce.  
 
In  total  four  district  court  cases  challenging  health  reform  have  been  heard:    Two  found  the  Affordable  Care  Act  
constitutional,  two  did  not.  
 
The  U.S.  Supreme  Court’s  Rule  11,  a  "writ  of  certiorari"  allows  the  high  court  to  take  a  case  from  the  appellate  
level  only  upon  a  showing  that  the  case  is  of  such  "imperative  public  importance"  as  to  require  an  immediate  
decision.    The  Seventh  District  lawmaker  believes  the  health  care  law  rises  to  that  level.      
 
“I  believe  it  is  in  our  Nation's  best  interest  that  the  highest  court  rule  expeditiously  rather  than  face  potentially  
years  of  litigation  on  this  important  matter,”  Lance  concluded.  
 
For  his  part  Congressman  Lance  opposed  the  health  care  law  and  recently  voted  to  repeal  the  measure  and  
replace  it  with  common-­‐sense  fiscally  responsible  reforms  that  will  lower  health  care  costs,  expand  access  and  
protect  jobs.  
 
These  reforms  supported  by  Rep.  Lance  include  allowing  insurance  to  be  sold  across  state  lines,  establishing  high-­‐
risk  insurance  pools,  limiting  frivolous  lawsuits  and  prohibiting  insurance  companies  from  discriminating  on  the  
basis  of  pre-­‐existing  conditions.  
 
As  a  member  of  the  House  Energy  and  Commerce  Committee  Congressman  Lance  will  be  on  the  front  lines  of  this  
effort.  
 
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