Lawmakers backing national health care act

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - A group of Connecticut lawmakers is backing a brief being filed in the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the federal health care reform law.

Key lawmakers plan to announce their support for the amicus brief at a state Capitol news conference set for Thursday.

The backers include House of Representatives Speaker Christopher Donovan and the two co-chairwomen of the General Assembly's Public Health Committee — all Democrats. They join more than 450 state lawmakers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia who are holding similar events this week.

They maintain the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is constitutional and they are working in their states to implement the act in a timely manner.

The Supreme Court has scheduled arguments on the constitutionality of the health care overhaul in late March.