By David G. Savage and Noam N. Levey, Washington Bureau
Reporting from Washington — A federal appeals court struck down a pillar of President Obama’s national healthcare law, ruling Congress does not have the power to require all Americans to buy insurance and setting the stage for a Supreme Court decision ahead of the 2012 election.
The 2-1 decision is a victory for Republican leaders in 26 states who challenged the law last year, testing whether the signature accomplishment of Obama’s presidency would stand.