California Attorney General Kamala Harris (D) has joined nine other attorneys general in filing a friend-of-the-court brief supporting the constitutionality of the federal health reform law, SF Weekly's "The Snitch" reports.
The brief was filed with the St. Louis-based Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is reviewing a lawsuit challenging the reform law (Jamison, "The Snitch," SF Weekly, 8/22).
Background
A number of lawsuits are challenging the constitutionality of the law.
Most recently, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this month ruled that the law's requirement that U.S. citizens purchase health insurance exceeded the scope of federal power.
However, the California-based Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the law.
Observers say the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately will rule on the law (California Healthline, 8/15).
Details of the Brief
Harris filed the brief with attorneys general from:
- Connecticut;
- Delaware;
- Hawaii;
- Iowa;
- Maryland;
- New York;
- Oregon;
- Vermont; and
- The District of Columbia.
The brief supports the constitutionality of the reform law and urges the court to affirm states' rights to protect the health and safety of their citizens.
Harris said in a statement that the law "strikes an appropriate, constitutional balance between federal and state authority over the health care system."
She added that the law "establishes federal standards, backed by federal funding, to expand access to affordable coverage" while giving states leeway to design systems that work best for their residents (Highland Community News, 8/22).