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Bipartisan House Bill Would Add Religious Exemption to Obamacare Mandate
A bipartisan bill in the House would expand the religious exemption to the insurance mandate in Obamacare, allowing those with a religious objection to absolve themselves of the mandate’s health insurance requirement with an affidavit.
Introduced by Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), the bill has drawn co-sponsors from both sides of the political aisle, including Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Todd Akin (R-Mo.) Ron Paul (R-Texas), and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.).
The bill would allow anyone to be exempt from the individual mandate so long as they filed an affidavit along with their tax returns that “sincerely held religious beliefs” would cause them “to object to the medical health care that would be covered under such coverage.”
The issue of religious exemptions gained prominence late last year when the U.S. Catholic Church raised objections to a federal regulation that all insurance companies provide contraception without co-pay.
The church said that the regulation would violate the religious beliefs of Catholics, because Obamacare forced them to buy insurance that would now pay for contraception, which the Catholic Church believes to be immoral.
The regulations included a narrow religious exemption that would cover only churches and other religious institutions. After a public outcry over the narrow exemption, the Obama administration announced it would expand it, but has yet to produce this compromise.
The House bill would solve this issue by allowing anyone who swears they have a religious objection to insurance coverage to opt out of the mandate.
To prevent people from abusing the religious exemption, the opt-out would be voided if an individual voluntarily used health care services that would have been covered under an insurance plan.
Cynic
November 23rd, 2012
There’s going to be sudden increase in church membership.
lamchops
November 23rd, 2012
I’m beginning to see a loophole here the entire country can drive through.
MaryfromMarin
November 23rd, 2012
Ron Paul, Todd Akin, Barney Frank, and Barbara Lee as cosponsors. How did that grouping happen? Could it get any more improbable?
More importantly, what do Frank and Lee know that the others don’t?
Adrienne
November 23rd, 2012
“the opt-out would be voided if an individual voluntarily used health care services that would have been covered under an insurance plan”
Well, does that include all healthcare services? Pretty confusing statement.
votin is verboten
November 23rd, 2012
yeah… and then he’ll issue another EO and all the waivers disapperar, unless, he needs the union vote for some odd reason — IF we ever vote again
i know, i know, it’s the counting that matters
FreedomCat
November 24th, 2012
Didn’t Barney Frank retire from office?
Andrea Shea King
November 24th, 2012
Jayzus these people are friggin out of their minds. REPEAL the damn thing in its entirety, you yellow-bellied, spineless, callow, contemptible corrupted cowards.
There. I TOLD them!
Gracie
November 24th, 2012
This is a set-up. They are NOT talking about Christians!! They are making Catholic’s fight the battle, but this is not the big picture here. Just watch, wait and see.
MaryfromMarin
November 24th, 2012
@Gracie–
You mean Muslims, right? Exempt all faiths and then–through some leftist sleight-of-hand–bar non-Muslims from participating?
Boobie the Rocket Dog
November 24th, 2012
Would that include the Hobby Lobby Green family?
Nutjob
November 24th, 2012
Yeah right, and the Catholics would stillllllll believe this lieing POS.
Unruly Refugee
November 24th, 2012
I’ve been exempt from unconstitutional mandates all of my life and will remain exempt. You don’t force me to do anything illegal or against my will.
The John Wayne Creed:
“I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people and I expect the same from them.” (John Wayne in The Shootist)
scr_north
November 24th, 2012
@MaryfromMarin; yep if Frank and Lee are supporting this then something stinks to high heaven about this bill.
Dr. Tar
November 24th, 2012
So its either give up your religion or give up health care services if you want to avoid violating the sanctity of life of the unborn?
Its not really an opt out then is it? Seems more like they are trying to a.) Save a buck on a bad program be encouraging people to go without health care. b.) Get the opposition to willingly shorten their own lives by voluntarily giving up normal health care services.
Mr.Gates
November 24th, 2012
The bi-partisanship means something. There is a chink in the armor. They know this law is in trouble over the long run (or short?) if they don’t ease some of the tension. They know how angry everyone is. They thought it would subside and they see it’s getting worse and will NEVER go away. They know they have irretrievably ripped the fabric of our society and it’s going nowhere good.
They are AFRAID. Let’s keep it that way.
This exemption stuff is bull crap. The waivers and exemptions blatantly violate the 14th amendment.
I demand full repeal of Nazi (obama, same thing) death care. If the fight to do that is lost, we have to repeal the individual mandate.
By the way, if you haven’t seen this you need to. It’s long but extremely informative and worth it:
Grinding America Down http : // vimeo dot com / 52009124
serfer62
November 24th, 2012
It will be vetoed