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A federal appeals court Tuesday rejected a request to delay next week's hearing on the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's health care law. Eighteen Republican-dominated states opposed to the law said they needed more time to prepare answers to complex issues the appeals court raised in a recent filing as they prepared for the hearing. States supporting "Obamacare" had opposed the delay, saying it would contribute to uncertainty for insurance companies, regulators and people who need health care coverage. (McGill, 7/2)

The Republican states said they need more time to file a supplemental brief on whether the U.S. House of Representatives and the Democratic states that are defending the landmark healthcare law have standing to intervene in the case and if not, what that means for the appeal. The Republican attorneys general asked to extend the July 3 deadline to file the brief by 20 days and reschedule oral arguments for after that date. (Livingston, 7/2)

“Allowing this appeal to proceed on its current schedule will provide some measure of certainty about the ACA’s future to states, the health care system — including providers and insurers — and ordinary Americans, and allow them to structure their affairs accordingly,” the Democratic lawyers told the court. (Lindell, 7/2)