Is healthcare reform constitutional?
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (UPI) — Republicans fighting a losing battle to stop Democratic healthcare reform in Congress may have a couple of aces up their sleeve — the Constitution and the conservative bent of the U.S. Supreme Court. While Democrats have the power to enact reform based on congressional numbers alone, evoking much GOP angst, at least one powerful Republican official is vowing to challenge key parts of the legislation once it is enacted and signed into law. Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum said in a statement last week he is ready, willing and able to take healthcare reform to court. After criticizing healthcare reform in general, McCollum said: “Most concerning is the individual mandate that a person must pay a fine or tax if he or she does not obtain federally required healthcare insurance. I have grave concerns about the constitutionality of this mandate. Such a ‘living tax’ is worrisome because it would be levied on a person who does nothing, a person who simply wis
