Are you clear about what happened between Pres. Obama and the HHS mandate v. our first liberties?

WDTPRS ^ | 5/24/12 | Fr John Zuhlsdorf

[markomalley]

The excellent Becket Fund for Religious Liberty has a great timeline on their site about the HHS mandate, along with a detailed list of plaintiffs against the Obama Administration.

HHS Mandate Timeline:

• August, 2011, Federal government issues a regulation requiring that all group health plans must cover “[FDA-]approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling for all women with reproductive capacity.” The mandate, a provision of the “Affordable Care Act,” would take effect August 1, 2012.
• November 10, 2011, Press Release,  Belmont Abbey College Sues Federal Government (Becket Fund)
  
• December 21, 2011, Press Release, Colorado Christian University First Evangelical University to Fight Abortifacient Mandate (Becket Fund)
• January 20, 2012, Press Release,  Obama Administration Refuses to Change Abortion-Drug Mandate
  
• January 31, 2012, Press Release,  Senator Rubio introduces conscience rights bill
  
• February 6, 2012, Press Release, White House Makes False Claims about HHS Mandate
  
• February 9, 2012, Press Release, Becket Funds Files Lawsuit for Nun’s TV Network
  
• February 10, 2012, Press Release,  Obama Administration Offers False “Compromise” on Abortion-Drug Mandate
  
• February 15, 2012, HHS Mandate, After “Compromise,” HHS Mandate Remains unchanged
  
• February 15, 2012,  Press Release, UNACCEPTABLE: Diverse group of more than 300 academics and religious leaders call Obama’s HHS statement “Unacceptable”
  
• February 15, 2012, Press Release, Priest for Life Join Fight
• February 17, 2012, Press Release, Obama Administration Responds to Becket Fund Lawsuit: “Please Look the Other Way”
  
• February 18, 2012, Congressional Hearing, First Congressional Hearing on HHS Mandate, President Theirfelder Testifies (Belmont Abbey College)
  
• February 18, 2012, Press Release, Louisiana College joins fight (ADF)
  
• February 21, 2012, Press Release,  Becket Fund Files on Behalf of Ave Maria University
  
• February 21, 2012, Press Release,  Geneva College joins fight (ADF)
  
• February 23, 2012, Press Release, 7 states sue over mandate (Nebraska v. HHS)
  
• February 28, 2012, Press Release, Obama Administration Takes Another Pass on Defending HHS Mandate
  
• February 28, 2012, Congressional Hearing, Becket Fund Testifies before full House Judiciary Committee regarding constitutionality of the HHS Mandate
  
• February 28, 2012, Press Release, Administration seeks to dismiss Becket Fund’s CCU lawsuit
  
• March 15, 2012, Press Release, First for-profit client files, O’Brien v. HHS (ACLJ)
  
• March 16, 2012, Press Release, Administration Offers new details on “accommodation” and fails to satisfy religious groups (Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking)
  
• March 22, 2012, Press Release, Alabama Joins Becket Fund’s Fight Against Unconstitutional HHS Mandate
  
• March 23, 2012, Media Advisory, Becket Fund co-host Religious Freedom Rallies nation-wide
  
• April 23, 2012, Press Release, Becket Fund Fires Back at Administration’s Attempt to Dismiss Lawsuit (BAC)
  
• April 26, 2012, Video, Sebelius admits before congress that she did not consult Supreme court decision on religious liberty when drafting the HHS mandate
  
• April 30, 2012, Press Release, Second Private Business Owner Sues, Newland v. Sebelius (ADF)
  
• May 7, 2012, Press Release, Legatus v. Sebelius  (Thomas More Law Center)
• May 21, 2012, 11 Additional Lawsuits, representing 43 plaintiffs filed (Jones Day)

Additional Resources:

Becket Fund’s HHS Mandate Challenge

FAQ

HHS Mandate  (February 15, 2012)

•  ”Accordingly, the amendment to the interim final rule with comment period amending 29 CFR 2590.715-2713(a)(1)(iv) which was published in the Federal Register at 76 FR 46621-46626 on August 3, 2011, is adopted as a final rule without change.” (Page 8730)

HHS Proposed Rulemaking (March 16, 2012)

[MikeSteelBe]

The Catholics will get as much justice as George Zimmerman under this current administration.

[SuziQ]

Considering the fact that this is a Constitutional question, there should be more non-Catholic groups filing suit against the HHS mandate.

[MikeSteelBe]

Those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it.

Just like Martin Niemöller said:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Martin Niemöller did not speak out, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer was late.

Our government is enabling terrorism with “Fast and Furious” gunwalking, and it is sponsoring racism by failing to prosecute the New Black Panther’s voter intimidation federal hate crime.

Who is speaking out?

Bonhoeffer said that failure to speak out against evil is evil itself.