The federal website Regulations.gov released the first round of public comments on the administration’s proposed anti-conscience mandate on Wednesday. The comments were overwhelmingly opposed to the measure: out of 211 comments submitted, only six, less than 3%, offered support for the mandate. The mandate would require all organizations that offer health insurance to facilitate coverage of contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs, even if such drugs violate those organizations’ religious or moral beliefs. The vast majority of the comments submitted focus on the mandate’s violation of Americans’ right of conscience, while a … More
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Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius made yet another embarrassing admission about the lack of constitutional analysis that went into the HHS anti-conscience mandate on Thursday. At a full committee hearing of the House Education and Workforce Committee Secretary Sebelius was repeatedly questioned by Representative Trey Gowdy (R-SC) on whether she had consulted Supreme Court precedent or any official legal memo before publishing a rule that burdens religious liberty of employers. Under the mandate, almost all employers are forced to provide and pay for coverage of … More
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A trade group representing acupuncturists and practitioners of “oriental medicine” is attempting to convince the Department of Health and Human Services to classify acupuncture as an “essential health benefit” under Obamacare. The American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine established a task force to spearhead the effort, which organized a letter-writing campaign directed at HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. A total of 5,571 letters and emails were sent, according to the organization’s website. “Acupuncture fits all of the criteria for an eligible EHB service,” claims a position paper drafted by the … More
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The top Republican on the Senate’s health care committee warned on Wednesday that a recent administration decision to allow cabinet secretaries to raise money for political organizations could coerce individuals or organizations into financially supporting the president’s reelection in order to avoid a regulatory backlash. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is one of a handful of cabinet officials who have said they will speak at fundraising events for a major super PAC supporting the president’s reelection. Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), ranking member on the Health, Education, Labor and … More
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By Michael F. Cannon
Politico Pro has published a short but remarkable article [$] stemming from an interview with HHS secretary Kathleen Sebelius. It offers a couple of illuminating items, and one very glaring one. First, Sebelius undermines the White House’s claim that “28 States and the District of Columbia are on their way toward establishing their own Affordable Insurance Exchange” when [...]
Sebelius Admits ObamaCare Exchanges Aren’t Happening, Then Disqualifies Herself from Office is a post from Cato @ Liberty – Cato Institute Blog
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It is a rare moment indeed when faith denominations of all stripes unite together in common cause, and it is rarer still when that cause is a political one, with a sole piece of legislation as its principal target. But when that law eviscerates the very foundation of religious liberty in America as protected under the First Amendment, it should not be surprising that Catholics and Jews, evangelical Christians, and mainline Lutherans alike find common cause in defense of their liberties. Such is the case with the firestorm of opposition … More
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By Michael F. Cannon
President Obama is catching some well-earned blowback for his decision to force religious institutions “to pay for health insurance that covers sterilization, contraceptives and abortifacients.” You see, ObamaCare penalizes individuals (employers) who don’t purchase (offer) a certain minimum package of health insurance coverage. The Obama administration is demanding that coverage must include the aforementioned reproductive care [...]
Contraceptives Mandate Brings ObamaCare’s Coercive Power into Sharper Focus is a post from Cato @ Liberty – Cato Institute Blog
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The House of Representatives is expected to vote as early as tomorrow on H.R. 1173, the Fiscal Responsibility and Retirement Security Act of 2011. This bill would repeal the CLASS Act, Obamacare’s new long-term care entitlement. The CLASS Act is just another reminder that the entire health care law is flawed and unworkable. As noted by Heritage policy analysts, the CLASS Act is doomed to fail. It was created as a budget gimmick to help Obamacare pass. This is due to the illusion that CLASS produces a short-term deficit reduction … More
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Monday on The Daily Show, comedian Jon Stewart interviewed Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The Secretary didn’t escape the hot seat in what turned out to be an interesting discussion regarding the implementation of Obamacare. One notable topic covered during the interview was the surprise proposal by HHS to let states determine their own definitions of “essential health benefits.” Obamacare explicitly instructs HHS to fill in the details of the legislation’s mandatory minimum benefit package, but as the Galen Institute’s John Hoff previously noted in a Heritage … More
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In a rare scenario in Washington, common sense trumped politics this week as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) prevented the controversial Plan B drug from being sold to girls younger than 17 without a prescription. On Wednesday, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius overruled a recommendation by the Food and Drug Administration to allow the over-the-counter sale of Plan B, enabling young girls to buy the drug without first consulting a doctor or parent. Agreeing with Secretary Sebelius’s decision, President Obama remarked yesterday: I think it is important for … More
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