U.S. Senate Defeats Measure to Restore Religious Freedom

The violation of our religious freedom continues. The U.S. Senate on Thursday (Mar 1, 2012) upheld the Obama Administration's mandate for contraceptives (including abortifacients) to be included in private health insurance plans.  Democrats defeated a Republican bill that would have allowed health insurance plans and employers to refuse to provide or pay for coverage of "specific items or services" if that would be "contrary to the religious beliefs or moral convictions of the sponsor, issuer or other entity offering the plan."

One Republican and two independents opposed the bill and three Democrats including Senate Casey and West Virginia's Joe Manchin voted with the Republicans for religious freedom.  Democrats accused Republicans of infringing on women's rights and claimed Senator Blunt's bill would allow any employer or insurer to deny coverage for virtually any treatment!

To elaborate, Barbara Boxer, D-CA objected to a conscience clause. She said insurers "don't have any consciences" and suggested they would have used the conscience exemption as a loophole to deny coverage for anything.  Give me a break.  We are to accept a violation of the First Amendment, which is what the mandate is, because the Evil Health Insurers will deny coverage for anything?  I really don't want to have to come to the defense of health insurers (we all have stories to tell), but the Democrats argument is hyperbole and cover for their real agenda.  That agenda involves government control and abortion on demand.

Let's back up.  These kinds of mandates were inevitable with Obamacare. Obamacare, for all the grandiose claims about healthcare for all, replaces individual choice with government dictates.  Obamacare assumes the feds can make better decisions about we need, or don't need, in healthcare.  If a little thing like the First Amendment needs to be violated to insure that everyone has access to contraceptives so be it.

This brings me to the whole notion about access to contraceptives. We hear from the Left that if the government does not mandate contraceptives (including abortifacients) then women in America will be "denied access."  Really?  Does this sound familiar?  The Left declares a "right" and it soon follows that some people will be denied access if they can't afford it.  Therefore we must pay so the unfortunate can exercise this new right.

You might have heard of the woman law student who testified before Congress last week that if the exemption law was passed then women at her Georgetown law school would have to go without contraceptives (even while they are paying $40,000 for their education).  Well, they do have other choices - ones that we or their institution don't have to pay for.  They could walk to the pharmacy and spend a buck or they could abstain!  And these choices also would not violate others' religious consciences.

One last thing. The Left wants Americans to believe that a small minority is trying to force their beliefs about contraceptives on the entire nation.  They were just minding their own business when the government mandated contraceptives be supplied against their beliefs. This is not a fight about contraceptives. It is a defense of religious freedom.  The actual number of Americans who believe contraceptives to be against God's will IS probably pretty small.  But it is their religious belief.  The First Amendment is theirs too.  We cannot permit this violation of all of our rights to religious freedom.