Court papers have shown that the National Federation of Independent Businesses, a U. S. trade group, has joined with Republican challengers of the new healthcare law.

The New York Times reported on Saturday that the legal attack on the healthcare measure, originally filed by 13 state attorneys general in March, was joined by seven other attorneys general and state governors this week.

Only one of the officials challenging the law, Louisiana Attorney General James Caldwell, is a Democrat.

The newspaper also said that one of the purposes of having the business federation join the lawsuit is to dilute the impression that objections to the law are purely political.

It has been reported that besides state officials, the lawsuit filed in U. S. District Court in Pensacola, Fla., has been joined by an uninsured small business owner from Panama City, Fla., and a Washington state man who has elected to pay his own medical bills rather than carry health insurance, which, starting in 2014, would be mandated by the federal law.

The Justice Department is expected to file a motion to dismiss the case based on the point that the mandate has yet to cause any harm, given it does not take effect for four years.

The Times further noted that the motion is not due until June 16. (With Inputs from Agencies)