US Senate blocks bill to erode religious freedom
Lefties didn’t like the US Supreme Court’s decision on the Hobby Lobby case:
In Hobby Lobby, the Court ruled that the Obamacare law and its related regulations cannot compel closely held or family-owned companies from providing certain kinds of contraceptive coverage if doing so violates the owners’ religious beliefs. The religious family that owns Hobby Lobby had opposed four of the 20 contraceptive drugs and devices because they could cause abortion.
Just days later, Democrats proposed their legislation in an attempt to legislate around that ruling. While the Court insisted its ruling is narrow and only applies to some contraception methods and some companies, Democrats have insisted that the ruling is an attack on women’s rights.
“The Supreme Court got it wrong,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the Senate floor.
Imagine if Republicans had the courage to try something like this regarding Roe v. Wade — which turned a protection against unreasonable search and seizure into a “right” to subsidized abortion on demand.
In the 1973 Roe case, the lefties made up an addendum to the constitution. In this and other recent efforts, the lefties are specifically trying to water down the First Amendment. Speech for bloggers. Religious freedom for people opposed to stuff like gay marriage and abortion on demand.
Actually, Schumer’s fans could argue that the Congress got it wrong. The Supreme Court actually did its job — interpreting this case based on previous legislation passed by the Congress. When the Dems controlled the Hill, they tried to stick it to the religious right by passing a bill allowing certain Indian tribes to use peyote (an illegal drug) without fear of prosecution. They cloaked their legislation in the name of “religious freedom.” But apparently, when a constituency that is not in the hole for the Democrats starts demanding their religious freedoms, it becomes a “problem.”
Senate Republicans got some backbone here — blocking the Dem effort to reverse the Hobby Lobby decision by a 56-43 vote. Three Republicans — Murkowski (AK), Kirk (IL), and Collins (ME) — voted FOR the Democrat legislation. The RNC and other establishment rabble try to tell us how important it is to get more Rs on Capitol Hill. THIS KIND OF CRAP is what we get when we focus too much on the R and not on what the candidate actually believes and will fight for. What good will a GOP majority be if we get a bunch more Collinses, Kirks, and Murkowskis?
Hagan voted with her party, while Burr stood with the Republicans. It is amazing — in this day and age — that we have votes this close over whether or not government can shove stuff down our throats while ignoring our constitutionally-protected religious freedom. It’s not about whether the ladies can get their birth control pills. It’s about the government forcing you to pay for something — a health care plan — and then mandating the terms of said plan without any input from you.
In over two centuries since our founding, we’ve gone from a nation with a government empowered BY the people to a government TELLING the people what to do.
Of course the Affordable Care Act should have been struck down as unconstitutional but those same health insurance companies that acted as though the government was putting them out of business benefited the most with all these bloated policies. I really miss the days of the 80/20 plans that kept premiums low and affordable.