Oklahoma Governor Praises Health Care Ruling

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin and U.S. Rep. James Lankford are praising a federal appeals court that has declared a portion of the federal health care overhaul law is unconstitutional.

The court in Atlanta is siding with the 26 states that sued to block the health care law, rejecting the provision requiring people to buy insurance.

Another appeals court has upheld it. And the White House says it's confident today's ruling won't stand.

The panel, in its divided ruling today, didn't go as far as a lower court that had rejected the entire overhaul as unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court will likely decide the issue.

Fallin says Oklahomans have made it clear the federal government should not be allowed to force citizens to purchase health insurance.

Lankford says the law far exceeds the boundaries of federal government set out by the U.S. Constitution.

Both Fallin and Lankford are Republicans. The mandate is part of a controversial overhaul Democrats passed last year.