Judge to Prez: You Have 1 Week to Save Obamacare

Thursday, 03 Mar 2011 07:10 PM
By David A. Patten

The clock is ticking on the Obama administration’s plans to implement Obamacare.

That was the bottom-line result following a federal judge’s ruling Thursday giving the administration just seven days to file an expedited appeal either to the U.S. Supreme Court or the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

If the administration misses that deadline, it could face an injunction that would bring its implementation of Obamacare to a screeching halt in 26 states.

Judge Roger Vinson’s 20-page ruling chastised the government for dragging its feet before seeking a stay, or temporary suspension, of his January ruling that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. Vinson previously ruled that requiring individuals to make a federally mandated purchase -- buying a healthcare plan -- exceeds the federal government’s constitutional authority to regulate interstate commerce.

Vinson said he had expected the government to ask for a stay of his ruling.

“It was not expected,â€