Sen Rubio (R-FL) intro’s bill to repeal Pres. Obama’s attack on religious liberty

Here is some good news from the Penacola News Journal.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio today introduced the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 2012, a bill to repeal a new “ObamaCare” mandate that violates the religious liberties and conscience rights of faith-based institutions by forcing them to offer employees insurance coverage for contraceptives, Rubio’s office said in a news release.

“Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services finalized a new mandate that would require most church-affiliated organizations to offer their workers private insurance coverage without out-of-pocket charges for birth control. The administration ignored efforts by numerous faith-based organizations to be granted an exemption on religious grounds,” the release said.

“The Obama Administration’s obsession with forcing mandates on the American people has now reached a new low by violating the conscience rights and religious liberties of our people,” said Rubio. “Under this President, we have a government that has grown too big, too costly and now even more overbearing by forcing religious entities to abandon their beliefs. This is a common sense bill that simply says the government can’t force religious organizations to abandon the fundamental tenets of their faith because the government says so.”

The text of the legislation is available HERE.

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15 Comments

  1. aviva meriam says:

    Finally….

    Even if this legislation passes, November MATTERS.

  2. hylander1986 says:

    Wow. I’m proud to be from Pensacola, proud to be a Floridian and supporter of Marco Rubio, and proud to be a Catholic! Go Marco and God bless you and the new bill!!

  3. Bryan Boyle says:

    Now…a chance to see who’s with us or against us. The division will be stark. And public.

    Simple decision. Significant consequences.

  4. Titus says:

    Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 2012

    The lawyer side of my wishes he would pick another name. We already have at least one Religious Freedom Restoration Act. See 42 USCA §?2000bb-3. Maybe the Preservation of Religious Freedom Against Executive Mandates Act of 2012 (PRAEMA).

  5. Dismas says:

    I guess it’s too early for the House of Reps to explore possible articles of impeachment? Isn’t this unconstitutional mandate an impeachable act?

  6. Iowander says:

    This is great and all, but what if I’m the owner of a business which is not a religious organization. Can’t I get some of that conscience protection too? I want to freely exercise my religion too.

  7. Iowander says:

    After a second read, I think that this act may in fact protect consciences of individuals, although that doesn’t make it into the “Findings” part. Perhaps someone with a better understanding of legalese could help interpret this?

  8. Pingback: TUESDAY RELIGIOUS LIBERTY EXTRA II | ThePulp.it

  9. Geoffrey says:

    “This is great and all, but what if I’m the owner of a business which is not a religious organization. Can’t I get some of that conscience protection too? I want to freely exercise my religion too.”

    That was exactly my question, but my ability to read legalese is right up their with reading Koine Greek!

  10. bvb says:

    Someone made a petition at WhiteHouse.gov … and the “We The People” petition-making section of the site has had a suspiciously large number of “maintenance” periods lately, for some reason.

    wh.gov/kl3

    Anyway, it would be pretty cool if we could use Pres. Obama’s own site to force a response from the administration as well as from Congress.

  11. Former Altar Boy says:

    Great news. Now if he’d only return to the Church of his birth.

  12. Ioannes Andreades says:

    I have concerns about this legislation as well, as it seems to focus on religious exemption.

    You can also go to the National Committee for a Human Life Ammendment, which collaborates with the USCCB, and contact your representatives and senators to cosponsor the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011 (H.R. 1179, S. 1467). This legislation contains the language “religious beliefs or moral convictions.”

    http://nchla.org/actiondisplay.asp?ID=292

  13. jhayes says:

    Ionnes Andreades, it’s curious that the bill you linked was introduced in the House of Representatives almost a year ago (March 17, 2011). It was referred o the House Committee on Health, but no action on it has been reported since then.

    A similar bill was introduced in the Senate in August 2011. It was referred to a Senate committee but no action s reported nice then.

    My guess is tht Senato Rubio introduced his new bill to try to get around the inaction on the two existing bills.

  14. AvantiBev says:

    Again, as I posted the other day….THINKING TOO SMALL CATHOLICS!!!!!
    “U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio today introduced the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 2012, a bill to repeal a new “ObamaCare” mandate that violates the religious liberties…”
    NOPE! Repeal the whole darn thing. Conscience and Constitution are being shredded.

    National health “care” is not a “right” it is an abomination that will result in the last few precious rays of freedom being extinguished. When “THEY” control your medical care, THEY control your lives at every level.

    Also, has anyone noticed we are BROKE?

    As a Baby Boomer I have a good idea of where the cuts would come if this abomination is allowed to stand and force all private insurers eventually out of business. Government insurance, government doctors, government hospitals, government administered death.

  15. AvantiBev says:

    May I also suggest a Mark Steyn’s AFTER AMERICA as a good read, sad but wittily written. Steyn makes an articulate case for freedom and responsibility over invented rights and the mentality of entitlement.

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