The Hill News

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) on Friday praised a federal court ruling that the individual mandate in healthcare reform is unconstitutional, calling it a “welcome relief.”

Bachmann, whose presidential campaign includes a strong push to repeal what she calls “Obamacare,” urged the Obama administration to rethink the entire healthcare bill in light of the ruling. 

“Removing the individual mandate from Obamacare deprives it of the revenue necessary to pay for the bill,” Bachmann said in a statement released by her presidential campaign.

“Implementing the remaining provisions without the mandate would dramatically increase our budget deficit and do further harm! to our economy.”

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that the individual-coverage mandate in healthcare reform is unconstitutional, but said the rest of the law can stand.

“The government’s position amounts to an argument that the mere fact of an individual’s existence substantially affects interstate commerce, and therefore Congress may regulate them at every point of their life,” the ruling states.