Administration tells judge it is appealing his ruling on health care

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration is appealing a judge's ruling that found the federal overhaul of the health care system unconstitutional. In a two-page notice Tuesday to a federal court in Pensacola, Fla., the Justice Department said the Health and Human Services Department and other federal defendants were appealing to the federal appeals court in Atlanta, with court papers and arguments to follow. On Jan. 31, U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson ruled against the Obama administration's health care overhaul on grounds that Congress exceeded its authority by requiring nearly all Americans to carry health insurance. The ruling came in a challenge to the law by 26 of the 50 states. Vinson ruled last week that states must continue implementing the law while the case makes its way through the courts. Published: Thu, Mar 10, 2011