McDonnell Calls For Quick Review By Supreme Court Of Health Law

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell lashed out at the federal health law while giving the Republicans' weekly address Saturday.

The Hill:  McDonnell: Healthcare Law An Unconstitutional Budget Buster
The sooner the Supreme Court weighs in on the legality of the Obama administration's healthcare law the better, Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-Va.) said in Saturday's GOP address. McDonnell said the law "shifts billions in unfunded mandates onto state governments" and pointed out a federal court in Virginia has ruled against the law's mandate that individuals must purchase health insurance. ... McDonnell called it shocking that the Obama administration opposes an expedited appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing the administration is demonstrating a preference for "years of costly litigation in the lower courts." "Regardless of party, we should all agree that the sooner we know if the law is constitutional, the better for the American people," McDonnell said (Nagesh, 3/26).

The Associated Press/KBOI: GOP Weekly Address: Va. Gov. McDonnell Wants Gov't. To Consider The States
McDonnell says that the passage of the health care bill by "partisan vote" now seems to be more about "expanding control by the federal government than actually reforming our health care system." In this week's address, McDonnell also points to entitlement programs and "rigid" requirements causing higher state costs, less innovation and freedom and the inability to manage state programs. In Virginia, the governor says, Medicaid's staggering growth will force the state to spend $2 billion more between 2014 and 2022.

Richmond Times Dispatch:  McDonnell To Deliver National GOP Address Saturday
McDonnell, vice-chairman of the Republican Governors Association, has been a vocal critic of the Obama administration's health-care plan and a strong supporter of Virginia's legal challenge to the law. "The health spending law has burdened states with billions of dollars in unfunded mandates, so we thought it would be instructive this week to hear from Gov. Bob McDonnell, who can give us a first-hand look at the impact the law is having on the Commonwealth of Virginia and the country," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement (Meola, 3/25).