Appeals court upholds health-care law

A federal appeals court upheld the constitutionality of the 2010 health-care law Tuesday, granting the Obama administration another appellate victory as the law nears an expected final review by the Supreme Court.

In a 2 to 1 decision, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found that Congress acted within its authority to regulate interstate commerce when it required virtually all Americans to obtain insurance or pay a penalty. The dissenting judge argued that the case should be dismissed because the challenge was premature.