Wellington Democratic Rep. Joseph Abruzzo is among four 30-something Florida House members slated to attend a Friday White House reception honoring young elected officials and drawing a crowd of dozens from across the country.

Along with Abruzzo, 30, now in his second term, others include Reps. Marty Kiar, D-Davie, age 34, Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, 36, and Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, 34.  The officials are expected to take part in hours-long policy briefing with senior White House and Obama administration officials.

 Among topics to be covered are housing, immigration reform, innovation, energy, and the economy.

President Obama’s administration can continue implementation of the federal health care act, a federal judge ordered today in the multi-state lawsuit led by Florida.

But, in a 20-page order issued today, Judge Roger Vinson of the Northern District of Florida gave the White House one week to file its appeal.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, leading the charge in the case involving 25 other states, had insisted that Vinson’s ruling quashed the law and that the state no longer had to implement it.

But in his “clarification” issued today, Vinson today wrote that his January ruling striking down the federal law as unconstitutional did not force White House officials and states to stop implementing the law.

But, he wrote, that was because he expected the Justice Department to immediately file an appeal in the case, expected to ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

“The sooner this issue is finally decided by the Supreme Court, the better off the entire nation will be. And yet, it has been more than one month from the entry of my order and judgment and still the defendants have not filed their notice of appeal,” Vinson wrote.
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