Appeals court rules against Obama healthcare law
ReutersBy Jeremy Pelofsky and James Vicini, editing by Will Dunham | Reuters – 26 minutes ago
    U.S. President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks at an iftar dinner celebrating Ramadan at the White House in Washington August 10, 2011. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

    U.S. President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks at an iftar dinner celebrating Ramadan …

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An appeals court ruled on Friday that President Barack Obama's healthcare law requiring Americans to buy healthcare insurance or face a penalty was unconstitutional, a blow to the White House.

The Appeals Court for the 11th Circuit, based in Atlanta, found that Congress exceeded its authority by requiring Americans to buy coverage, but also ruled that the rest of the wide-ranging law could remain in effect.

The legality of the so-called individual mandate, a cornerstone of the healthcare law, is widely expected to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Obama administration has defended the provision as constitutional.

(Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky and James Vicini, editing by Will Dunham)