On Friday, August 12, a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, by a 2 to 1 vote, held the mandate of the health care reform law to be unconstitutional, because, in the view of the majority, it exceeded Congress' authority under the Commerce Clause of the US Constitution.  This decision is in direct conflict with a June decision by the US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, where a majority of the panel determined that the mandate was a proper exercise of Congress' power under the same Commerce Clause.  This conflict between two federal Circuits would most probably signal a need for the issue to reach the US Supreme Court for final resolution.  The 11th Circuit panel did make one ruling in favor of the federal government by holding that its finding against the mandate did not invalidate the rest of the health care law, thereby reversing a lower court ruling that found that the entire law was voided by the adverse decision about the mandate.  Government lawyers are also considering appealing the adverse decision to the full panel of judges of the 11th Circuit.  The adverse ruling is not expected to delay continued implementation of the healthcare law during the ongoing judicial appeal activities; and the mandate itself is not operational until 2014.