Why is the HHS Mandate such a big deal?

So, I’ve done a lot of reading and thinking on this issue lately, and wanted to share with everyone the summary of my conclusions on why the ruling on Obamacare matters so much, and also why I can confidently stand against Obamacare.

The decision by the Supreme Court tomorrow will decide whether or not Obamacare is Constitutional. They can either 1) reject the entirety of the Act, 2) uphold the entirety of it, or 3) reject pieces of it, and give the rest back to Congress to fix. There is definitely a question as to whether or not it is Constitutional to "mandate" that most Americans purchase healthcare (aka, can the government really force us to buy anything?). No one's really certain what the Supreme Court will decide. However, the BIG DEAL we've been hearing about from Catholic leadesr is about a specific part of Obamacare, which is popularly referred to as the HHS mandate and which forces religious institutions to violate their consciences (aka, that's definitely unconstitutional). 

Here’s a summary of what you should know about the HHS mandate, taken from standupforreligiousfreedom.com:

“In January, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a mandate under the Affordable Care Act (also known as “Obamacare”) that requires all employer health plans to provide free contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs, regardless of any moral or religious objections—or face crippling fines.

The ministries of institutions like Catholic schools, hospitals and charities—educating the young, caring for the sick, feeding the hungry—are not considered sufficiently religious to qualify for the Mandate’s narrow ‘religious exemption.’

Not only will such institutions be forced to provide services that directly contradict the teachings of their faith, but—more alarmingly—the federal government is claiming the right to decide for religious institutions what constitutes their ministry.”

SO, here are 8 reasons why I am going to be in front of the Supreme Court tomorrow morning:

1. Because the HHS mandate is unconstitutional. The mandate described above and which is integral to Obamacare as a whole is literally unconstitutional because it violates the principle of religious freedom—the government cannot force a religious institution to violate its conscience. The “exception” it provides is no exception at all.
2. Because it’s not about contraception. This is not about access to contraception. Women can still get contraception and no one is trying to “take away” contraception from women—Catholics just shouldn’t be forced to fund it, that’s it. . “Your pills, your bills.” I’m sure tomorrow we are going to see a lot of pro-choice protesters trying to insist that to oppose this mandate is to wage “a war on women” (I’ve already heard this, as I’m sure you have), but the fact of the matter is this is not about women’s access to contraception; it’s about a religious person’s freedom to practice their religion
3. Because I’m Catholic, and this is an attack on religious freedom. Enough said here I think.
4. Because I’m an American, and this is an attack on freedom of conscience. This is a big deal even if you are not Catholic, because this has become an attack on freedom itself. The government is telling us how much of our faith we can and cannot practice in the public sphere. And it just isn’t allowed to do that… If they rule this Constitutional, they could later on force you to do something against your own conscience, even if funding contraception isn’t.
5. Because I’d really like to actually be able to talk about healthcare.  If it weren’t for the provisions that forced everyone to fund contraception and abortion-causing drugs, the provisions that make this an attack on religious freedom, then maybe we could actually be focusing on healthcare. We could discuss pros and cons of Obamacare, and talk about what the best way is to increase coverage and drive down costs for more Americans. I might still be against Obamacare because I don’t think it is very smart even economically, but, at least it’d be a more worthwhile conversation to have! Because right now all we can focus on is the fact that the government is literally pushing the envelope with religious freedom. If it weren't for the absolutely ridiculous mandate, we could actually have a decent debate about whether or not it is Constitutional to require Americans to purchase healthcare. But then on the other hand, if it weren't for the mandate, Obamacare probably would look completely different. Because as it is now, Obamacare cannot stand on its own without the mandate requiring coverage of contraception, sterilization, and abortion-causing drugs. So that's a bummer. 
6. Because this is history in the making! I mean holy cow, folks, this decision is a big deal! The Catholic Church is all up in arms fighting a battle that was imposed upon them, and the Supreme Court is deliberating on not only the constitutionality of the HHS mandate, but also if it is Constitutional to mandate healthcare coverage. The effects of Obama’s healthcare plan would change so many things about the way our country functions. I know life is going on like normal right now, but really, this is a big deal.
7. To represent young Americans also opposed. At first I was uncomfortable kneeling in front of the Supreme Court building, because I didn’t have a voice to defend my actions, and I knew that people passing by might just think I’m crazy. My presence was all that I could offer. But, then I remembered that I have good reason to be against this. I can defend this stance. So I will stand (or kneel) against the Mandate and be proud to represent the thousands of Americans who understand what a big deal this is.
8. To stand behind Kristan Hawkins holding a bullhorn. Students for Life is taking a stance against Obamacare, even as a secular organization, because it understands the gravity of this decision, and its potential effects both on personal freedom, and also on the future of pro-life work. If the government can force us to pay for contraception and abortion-causing drugs, when will they start forcing that we all fund abortions? Really, everyone should be upset about this. The reason pro-choice organizations aren’t is because it furthers their agenda. 

See you on TV! (It’s a possibility…)

Hope this helped to understand a bit more the gravity of the historic decision by the Supreme Court that will be released tomorrow.