Senior Official Calls Health Care Reform Lawsuits 'Without Merit'

03/25/2010

The Obama administration has responded to threats from several attorneys general who plan to file suit against the current health care reform bill.

The bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives this weekend and was signed by the president on Tuesday. Since then, attorneys general in at least 13 states have responded by challenging the reform's constitutionality.

The main criticism centers around the reform's penalties for those who do not purchase health insurance. While Congress is vested with the power to regulate interstate commerce, simply being alive should not qualify for such an exchange, according to Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.

These actions are being conducted for political gain, one senior official from the Obama administration told Washington-based blog The Hill.

"We believe that the lawsuits that have been filed thus far in an effort to block health care reform are completely without merit," the official was quoted as saying. "In our view this is nothing new."

The health care reform bill is currently being reviewed in the U.S. Senate, and may return to the House of Representatives for approval, according to a recent article by ABC News. Signing a reconciliation bill would further delay passage of the reform, an action Democrats had aimed to avoid.

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