Twenty states challenging President Barack Obama's new healthcare law told a U.S. District Court that it will expand the government's powers in dangerous and unintended ways.

They made their case before U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson in Pensacola, Fla. on Thursday and asked for a quick ruling.

"This is the biggest encroachment upon our freedom that Congress has ever levied," said Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. "And if Congress has the power to force Americans to go out and buy something, Americans will lose their freedom."

The judge questioned how the government could stop the massive changes to the healthcare system that have already begun under the law.

The court's ruling will follow that of U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson in Virginia who ruled earlier this week that the healthcare reform law was unconstitutional.

Both the Virginia and Florida cases are likely to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

States joining in the lawsuit included Florida, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Washington.