Shortly after a Virginia judge ruled the individual mandate in the health care bill passed earlier this year is unconstitutional, Republican Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina released a statement applauding the verdict.
“Today’s decision makes it clear that President Obama and Democrats overreached and violated the Constitution in their rush to pass a federal takeover of the healthcare system,” said DeMint – a conservative “kingmaker” in the Senate.
He went on to say, “The Constitution neither grants Congress nor the President the power to compel every American to buy government-approved health insurance. The unconstitutional individual mandate is the centerpiece of the health care takeover and today’s ruling should signal the beginning of the end for Obamacare.”
DeMint also called for the immediate and full repeal of the healthcare law.
As The Daily Caller previously reported, U.S. District Court Judge Henry Hudson deemed the individual mandate unconstitutional earlier today in a major blow to the Obama Administration’s landmark legislation on health care reform. The law was challenged in Virginia by the state’s Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.
In his decision, Hudson said the mandate “exceeds the constitutional boundaries of Congressional power,” and is not covered by the interstate commerce clause.
Although the Obama administration is downplaying the court’s decision, Cuccinelli said the ruling was a step in the direction of liberty. “I am gratified we prevailed,” he said in a statement. “This won’t be the final round, as this will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court, but today is a critical milestone in the protection of the Constitution.”