University of Notre Dame Sues Obama Admin Over Contraceptive Mandate
- Posted on May 21, 2012 at 12:49pm by
Billy Hallowell
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President Barack Obama delivers his commencement address at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., Sunday, May 17, 2009. (AP)
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (The Blaze/AP) — In the latest flap surrounding a contentious mandate, the University of Notre Dame is joining dioceses, among other institutions, in suing Obama administration officials over the requirement that most employers cover birth control.
This is the second major development to occur surrounding the mandate in recent days. Last Wednesday, Franciscan University, a Catholic institution in Steubensville, Ohio, claimed that Obamacare has forced the school to end its student heath insurance program. The massive health care overhaul, the university says, has led to cost increases that no longer make offering the program a viable possibility.
(Related: Catholic University Drops Student Health Care Plan Over Contraceptive Mandate)
On Monday, Notre Dame, equally disenchanted with the plan, said that the mandate violates religious freedom by requiring many religiously affiliated hospitals, schools and charities to comply. President Barack Obama offered to soften the mandate to accommodate religious groups, but U.S. Roman Catholic bishops say the change doesn’t go far enough.
Other religious colleges are already suing the Health and Human Service agency and administration officials over the mandate. Still, observers had been closely watching for Notre Dame’s next step. The Washington Times has a fuller assessment of the latest legal battles that the federal govenment faces as a result of the mandate:
The archdioceses of New York, Washington, D.C. and St. Louis and the University of Notre Dame filed lawsuits over President Obama’s contraception mandate Monday, along with dozens of other Catholic dioceses, schools and charities in a major legal challenge to a key part of Mr. Obama’s health care overhaul law.
Seeking to overturn the administration’s requirement for employers to include contraception in employee health insurance plans, 42 groups filed suit in a dozen federal courts around the country, including the dioceses of Dallas, Fort Worth, Rockville Centre, Pittsburgh and the Michigan Catholic Conference.
The lawsuits come a week after the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops rejected the administration’s revised final version of the mandate, saying that the administration’s various exceptions for religious groups didn’t go nearly far enough to protect religious freedom. The administration’s final rule allowed faith-affiliated institutions such as hospitals and universities to opt out of providing coverage for certain contraception and sterilization procedures, though employees could still get such coverage from the insurance companies themselves.
Notre Dame is the most prominent Roman Catholic school in the country. The university came under then unprecedented criticism from U.S. bishops and others in 2009 for inviting Obama as commencement speaker. Obama supports abortion rights.
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Comments (111)
actuary
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:04pmI guess the bloom is off the rose for Catholic/Obama love affair. I’m a Baylor grad but if the Catholics are standing up against religious tyranny then I am going to have to convert. I seem to recall the early settlers came here for…let’s see what was it? Oh right,it was for religious freedom!
Report Post »junglemom9
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:34pmFinally proud to be an American Catholic way to go Notre Dame!!!
Report Post »junglemom9
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:37pmDear Actuary,
Report Post »Texans can always live with each other. My son-in-law is a TAMU grad, My daughter went to Sam, my Hubby went to UD for his Masters and I have 2 Degrees out of Maine.!! Lets just hope we can hold together no matter which church we sit in or what school we went to. Right is Right and we just have to believe and pray as one!! Thank you God for allowing me the freedom to say this…
JRook
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 3:18pmWHO USES CONTRACEPTIVES?
• Virtually all women (more than 99%) aged 15–44 who have ever had sexual intercourse have used at least one contraceptive method.[2]
• Overall, 62% of the 62 million women aged 15–44 are currently using a method.[2]
• Almost one-third (31%) of these 62 million women do not need a method because they are infertile; are pregnant, postpartum or trying to become pregnant; have never had intercourse; or are not sexually active.[2]
• Thus, only 7% of women aged 15–44 are at risk for unintended pregnancy but are not using contraceptives.[2]
• Among the 43 million fertile, sexually active women who do not want to become pregnant, 89% are practicing contraception.[2]
Again, who exactly is on the other side of the issue. Not the President, not the Secretary of HHS. It would appear to be the lion’s share of the 63 million women of child bearing age. So to be clear the Secretary of HHS and the President support insurance coverage for a prescribed medical intervention utilized by the majority of 62 million women. I’d rather hear from them.
Report Post »Inlightofthings
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:14pmJROOK:
The best place for your stats may be in your square sphincter. You don’t get it, you really don’t. You chime in with meaningless numbers and post the following:
JROOK
“The point is that adults should take responsibility for each and every child they bring into the world. If they can’t take responsibility then their reproductive rights should be curtailed one way or the other. Something that is in the best interest of society and if it is necessary for the government to carry that out so be it”.
I have found most of your posts as good humor, but these two really freak me out if there are more than a small handful of you clowns out there. We need STATES RIGHTS in order leave a few places for folks like you to move and live in comfort with your own lifestyle choices, just don’t get the idea you can screw up the whole country. Consolidate in say, Calif. and at point you friggin’ morons can debate and spend YOUR resources on defining “best interest”, “when” the gov’t steps in, “how much” is too much and HOW to control. The problem with the ill conceived progressive movement is that it never ends, there is no closure and end no game so the answer is to proxy total control to others. At some point it will be “why bother” with allowing anyone to exert self control. As soon as you get a sand box to play in you not only don’t play nice – you’re looking for the next one to dispatch your cat to crap in.
Report Post »mycomet123
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:29pm@JROOK, Where did you get your stats at?? I’m guessing the Obama Administration!!!!
Report Post »MCDAVE
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 9:12pmObama the dictator has overstepped his presidential authority…Notre Dame should sue him personally ,not the administration…it costs Obama nothing to be sued ,he does not care.
Report Post »Jaycen
Posted on May 22, 2012 at 3:24amJRook is a Progressive Socialist at heart. Forced sterilization is straight out of John Holdren’s “Ecoscience”.
Report Post »bigspike
Posted on May 22, 2012 at 6:58amJROOKIE: now that you‘ve used up all your precious ’cut & paste’ skills, riddle me this:
where does the Federal Government get the Constitutional authority to FORCE the Church to pay for birth control and abortion-causing drugs?
Report Post »CAmom
Posted on May 26, 2012 at 12:45pmOh rook – do you not know the rules of public forums? One doesn‘t simply cut and paste someone else’s work without source notations……..it’s called Plagiarism.
Report Post »do_it_all_again
Posted on May 27, 2012 at 4:44am@JROOK
If you cant afford $4.00 generic, or $10.00 brand name prescriptions,
$7.00 box of condoms, or $7.00 for foam !!!
you need more help than the govt can give you !!
How about this ! Take some personal responsibility and buy it for yourself, or control your lust.
but dont look to me to pay for your whoring around !
It takes two to play,, so i think between the two of you you should be able to scratch together $10.00 to buy your protection, if not you need to worry more about getting a JOB than screwing around!!
Report Post »RGFROMTEXAS
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:02pmHow hypocritical of Notre Dame. Sex outside of marriage is also against their beliefs, however, their current Insurance covers Viagara for men, even if they are single. Even their Priests are covered for Viagara. Go Figure !!
inblack
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:37pm@RGFROMTEXAS
What an idiot. The single men’s policy probably also covers gynecological exams.
I’ve never seen a health plan changes the list of benefits based on sex or marriage status.
You poorly veiled bigotry is a a crystal clear reflection on you.
Report Post »conservativewoman
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 3:12pm@RGFROMTEXAS
I won’t call you an idiot like the other guy but you are ignorant about insurance. When my husband and I bought a group insurance plan for our employees,WHO WERE ALL MEN, they had to get coverage for pregnancy because I was part of the group plan and needed it.
Please know what you talking about before spreading bigotry.
Report Post »RGFROMTEXAS
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 3:44pmINBLACK / CONSERVATIVEWOMAN
Thanks for your reponse to my post but what I am saying is fact. You both make good points about coverage but I was referring to the double standard of viagra coverage and Birth control coverage and the hypocrisy of the Cathoilc church. I have heard many arguements on both sides but I have yet to hear one that addresses this particular issue to my satisfaction.
The simple question is why is one covered and not the other ? I am open-minded and wil listen to any reasonable response, maybe even one that will satisfy me. Thanks for your time.
Report Post »JRook
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 3:55pm@conservativewoman No actually you appear to be. While you are correct that premiums are determined based on the entire benefit package and groups relative risk calculation, what is included in the benefits is relevant. There are any number of prescription drugs that are prescribed and covered in health insurance policies that are associated with chosen behaviors. For example, individuals who eat in excess and thus become obese receive coverage for bariatric surgery and prescription drugs. As do individuals who smoking, diet, etc. cause hypertension, diabetes and any number of conditions. The policy neither reflects the reality of the covered population as 60% or more of the woman of child bearing age will utilize contraception, or the groups total health care costs, which will go up due to a pregnancy, delivery and followup care for mother and child.
Report Post »Inlightofthings
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:18pm@CONSERVATIVEWOMAN:
Report Post »It’s amazing how uneducated some folks are and how much we know as business owners. I had a similar issue with Health insurance but with age. 1…count it ONE employee was over the age of 64 when most others were 50 or under and my premium was 20% higher as a result of the one employee over 64…
topperj
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 6:12pmNo sympathy here for Notre Dame. They invited the infanticide supporter, Obama, to their Commencement three years ago this month. They knew his position and still let him address their students. Then we have Georgetown inviting another Pro-abortion activist, Sebelius, to their campus for a Commencement address, where she was justifiably heckled. These colleges and universities get what they deserve for their hypocrisy.
Report Post »XScramblerX
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 11:08pm@RGFROMTEXAS
You asked … The simple question is why is one covered and not the other ?
It’s pretty simple.
The Catholic Church is against contraception, Viagra is NOT contraception.
If ONE married man on the insurance plan requires viagra coverage, then all males are automatically covered.
My take on this has always been…
Report Post »I’d rather have the government OUT of my sex life altogether, If you can’t take responsibility for your own sexual relationships, then you should keep your pants on. I can’t understand why libs always need their a zz es wiped for them, but they do.
OneTermPresident
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:57pmCan’t wait for the Supreme Courts decision on the constitutionality of the health care mandate. How they ever thought they (Obama and Dems) could get away with forcing citizens to buy government run health care or be fined is mind boggling to start with. The ruling coming next month from the SC might make these new suits being filed by the Catholic Church unnecessary.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:04pmHere is the core of the matter with Obamacare; I have to assume they have a back up plan via regulation and executive fiat/decree already prepared, there will be all hades breaking loose when, I hope and pray, Obamacare dies the final death across the board.
He will see such a loss as a personal slap across the face and probably seek the removal of all those justices who stood against it.
Report Post »MCDAVE
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 9:21pmFor any who do not know…Obama care is the biggest piece of job killing legislation ever enacted by congress…They all are very aware of this fact…So when they tell us they care about jobs..they are lying …every congressman and senator who voted for this ,needs to be voted out of office.they all want another big gov slush fund they can steal from..
Report Post »MCDAVE
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 9:24pmWhy have we had to wait so long for their decision?…
Report Post »mountainbiker
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:52pmApparently ZENZAZIN doesn’t stay up with the news. The administration has already back pedaled on that little promise that it made to the Catholic Church. What did you expect?
Report Post »drphil69
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:50pmNotre Dame lost a lot of BIG donors when they invited Obama to speak. They are now trying to get their big donors back.
Report Post »grannyjojo
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:47pmI work at a large Catholic hospital and so far they have been silent as to obamacare for their employees. I can tell you that I, for one, hope they drop all medical insurance for their employees due to whats going on in the White House. I don’t mind one bit getting personal medical health insurance if it helps get rid of this unconstitutional mandate. They have overreached the boundaries of what this country was founded upon. Obamacare needs to GO….. I’m hopeful but not holding my breath waiting on the decision from the Supreme Court. They are our last line of defence in upholding the Constitution of the United States. “Every knee will bow and every tongue confess”
Report Post »encinom
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:55pmGreat granny, damn your co-workers because you believe in a fairy tale book. The Hospital is not a Church, the Church can not force its emplyees to live by the moral code that they used to enslave the European Serfs.
Report Post »Mark0331
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:37pm@ENCNIOM…I see your ignorant talk has wormed its way out of the gutter for yet another round of baseless attacks…you just proved in your response to Granny that you have absolutely no reading comprehension skills. What skills you do have reside in hate filled rhetoric and the ignorance bombs you drop all over this site…What part of Catholic Hospital do you not get?…You must a teenager, because your printed words have the same impact of a child trying to sound grown up…you are an avowed socialist/marxist,{ by your own words }, ideologies that have butchered, maimed and enslaved more people in history than any other ideology…you are a misinformed amusement to most on this site.
Report Post »inblack
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:42pm@ENCINOM
Who let you out? Go back to Hades with your master.
@Grannyjojo
I totally agree, I seem to be doing fine buying my own house, food and car and I’ve insured those things without the meddlesome ideologues in washington.
We need to start realizing that every govt program makes us poorer — they are always more expensive, always takes away our rights and never deliver the promised benefit.
Report Post »marleybob
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:44pm@encinom.They aren’t trying to force someone to live by their life style,they just shouldn‘t be forced to pay for someone else’s lifestyle.It is obama who is trying to force someone to live by someone else’s lifestyle,his.
Report Post »conservativewoman
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 3:20pm@ENCINOM
Report Post »Your history is so bad. The Church have supported the poor for centuries before their was medi-care, social security, etc. They also were the first to educate the poor and provided them protection AGAINST GOVERNMENT! With all the free history out there to read in books and internet, how could you miss it?
You just want to cause trouble because you are angry and bitter. Why do you bother? Take care of the personal problems in your life and stop dumping on grandmothers!
jhaydeng
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:42pmSorry Notre Dame, but the bandwagon leaving Obamaville left years ago and you were not on it!
Report Post »DomingoCafe
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:37pmObama and his administration have been running end on the “Fighting Heretics” for sometime now.
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:37pmGood! Sue the hell out of that socialist.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:32pmGreat job Notre Dame. Sue the B’s. Everything Obama has done tells me he is not a Christian and only took up the pose to get voters. I am hoping all his anti-religious stances, his true self, that comes out the black vote will diminish to a handful. We know NAACP and Van Jones for sure will vote for him. Oh yeah, that stupid teacher in NC.
Wake up black communities Obama is not here to help you, he is only here to make himself King.
Report Post »Obama_Sham
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:54pmCheer, cheer for ole Notre Dame…
Report Post »2SENSEWORTH
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:26pmDavid Axelrod nicknamed the him “Black Jesus”.
Oprah Winfrey referred to him as “The One”.
Chris Matthews said, “This is the New Testament.”
Evan Thomas wrote, “He’s sort of God.”
Speaking in 2009 Joe Biden said, “[President Obama] can‘t be here tonight because he’s getting ready for Easter. He thinks it’s about him.”
Spike Lee said, “You‘ll have to measure time by ’Before Obama‘ and ’After Obama’”.
(From Edward Klein’s book “The Amateur” pages 59-64)
Apparently the Catholic Church has no respect for those who made these statements.
Report Post »Spyderco
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:26pmI pray Notre Dame wins. I fear they will not.
Report Post »RGFROMTEXAS
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:34pmThey will win but won’t cover the spread !!
Report Post »Zenzazin
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:21pmi gather from the support for ND’s decision to sue that they (and many of you here) don’t understand or remember that this legislation came with an exemption for all religiously-affiliated schools/businesses to opt out of providing contraception under health insurance coverage. this is a non-issue.
Report Post »mountainbiker
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:49pmAnd the Administration reversed itself on that promise. Seems like this administration does that alot. Go figure.
Report Post »Cavallo
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:13pmThat’s what the government does. They’ll give you an exception, or a waiver, to get you to support their fascism, then yank the rug out from under you when you no longer have the ability. clout, or money to fight them.
Report Post »Clmsadjman
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:17pmGood for them the left screams everytime someone wants to put up a cross on public land. This country was founded on religious freedom and the government can’t have it both ways. They will win and the only who will win financially is the lawyers as usual.
Report Post »SquidVetOhio
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:12pmAs a Buckeye fan, it pains me to say this but…. GO IRISH!!!
Report Post »RJonesUSC
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 3:47pm+1
This is about the only time I’ll be able to say, “I hope the domers win this one.”
Report Post »JustPeachy
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:12pmFINALLY!
I understand that many Catholics actually voted Obama in (despite the FACT he HAS been openly pro-choice, even supporting partial birth abortions). How anyone could vote AGAINST their own faith/beliefs/conscience is STILL beyond me. Seems when it comes to MONEY, everything else goes out the window (with some)–including human life.
And now I wonder how Obama and Co. will enjoy being sued seeing they seem to love suing other people (states, etc. lol).
Report Post »whitepaper
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:11pmGreat! That’s a good start. Georgetown and Catholic University need to file suits as well.
Report Post »thekuligs
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:08pmA little late on the uptake I guess. Couldn’t they see where the country was heading with him? So much for higher education. Better late than never I guess.
Report Post »klammey
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:08pmTo Notre Dame….., “Be Careful What You Wish For.”
Report Post »CatB
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:05pmI buy my own insurance … have for well over 20 years … and I am being FORCED to “donate’ to abortions … I want OUT of Obamacare NOW! Where’s my waiver? I am sick of being TOLD what I must do .. I am an adult and can CHOOSE what I will or will not buy ..
OMG 2012 LIBERTY.
Report Post »Mark0331
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:03pmBarry O has ‘been on his heels’ it seems since Andrew Breitbart died…he is getting hammered on his record, his lie of a life story, eating dog etc…it is so nice to see him get taken to the woodshed every week…and its even better watching his braindead and brainwashed minions try and support such a flawed and incompetent ‘leader’….watch, wait and see, somewhere, someone on the left will call the Catholic Church ‘racists’ for this decision….
Report Post »jackact
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:02pmGo fighting Irish.
Report Post »We have states now suing the Obama administration for:
1.) The unconstutionality of Obamacare
2.) The mandate forcing religious organizations be required to provide contraception
3.) An original copy of the birth certificate
All is not well in Obamaland.
And it is going to get much worse for them
:)
lukerw
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:00pmBravo & Amen!
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 12:59pmand the hits just keep on coming….
Report Post »CatB
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:07pmI don‘t know why The Blaze isn’t reporting this …
Mon, 05/21/2012 – 6:30am . | Andrew Gasser .
“The Illinois Tea Party is shocked to learn House Republican Leader Tom Cross is cutting a deal with Chicago Democrats to implement Obamacare two years early in Cook County. “We have fought the passage and implementation of Obamacare for three long years,” said Denise Cattoni, State Director of the Illinois Tea Party. “For Tom Cross to flip-flop on Obamacare while its constitutionality is being ruled on in the Supreme Court is unfathomable. Obamacare was written behind closed doors and passed against the will of the people through backroom deals. Illinois Republicans seem poised to repeat that same mistake.”
more info …
Report Post »http://illinoisteaparty.net/node/2871
Obama Snake Oil Co
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:08pmFunny, he started a war with Catholics and will lose 77 million in November for it. When he became the first gay president, he became the last on for awhile. The catholics that once supported him have now stepped aside while Obama kept stepping in it. Water will not wash the turd off of his shoe now.
Report Post »karenm
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 12:53pmExcuse me but isn’t this the same school that welcomed Obama?????????/
Report Post »klammey
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:06pmYep, that’s the one! LOL
Report Post »