Healthcare litigators want to 'allow insurance companies to deny sick children medical care,' says Reid

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) responded to a federal court's decision in Florida on Monday that Democrat's healthcare legislation is unconstitutional by accusing those who brought the lawsuit of wanting to "increase prescription prices for seniors and allow insurance companies to once again deny sick children medical care."

"Health care reform is the law of the land and, now that Americans see its benefits, a majority of them oppose Republicans’ dangerous plans to repeal a law that put patients in control of their own health care," Reid said in a statement Monday afternoon.

Earlier Monday, a U.S. District judge in Florida ruled that the healthcare legislation is unconstitutional because of its requirement that every American to purchase health insurance starting in 2014.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) added that he has "long believed in the constitutional authority of Congress" to pass the healthcare law, and said he hopes that "the independent judiciary will recognize Congress's core constitutional authority and the court's long-standing precedents."

Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) responded by applauding the court's decision as another affirmation that the American people oppose the bill.

“Today’s decision affirms the view, held by most of the states and a majority of the American people, that the federal government should not be in the business of forcing you to buy health insurance and punishing you if you don’t," said Boehner.

The House vote to repeal the decision earlier this month and Senate Republicans are now working on a strategy to bring the bill, in whole or in part, to the Senate floor.

House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) and Health Subcommittee Chairman Wally Herger (R-Calif.) also supported the ruling. "As the legal battles make their way to the Supreme Court, Congress must continue to work to repeal the Democrats’ government takeover of health care and replace it with true health care reform that provides all Americans with access to affordable coverage that meets their needs," they said today.