Constitutional law lost on Obama

Constitutional law

lost on Obama

Most of us remember, when the Obamacare Health bill was introduced, Congressmen and others wanted to read the 2,000-plus pages to see what was in it before they voted on it.

The Speaker of the House at that time, Nancy Pelosi, refused, saying “Just pass the bill and then you can read what is in it.” The bill was passed without one Republican vote in either the House or the Senate. Many felt Obamacare was just rammed through, with no effort at the bipartisanship Obama had promised us.

Now the public is beginning to find out what Obamacare really contains. Catholics and pro-life Prostestants have discovered that their religious institutions such as colleges and hospitals that serve all people will be fined if they do not provide abortion, sterialization, the morning-after pill in their insurance for all their employees.

Several weeks ago several Catholic bishops asked for and were given an audience with President Obama to enlighten him on their long held doctrines in these matters. Obama listened and said he would take it under advisement and get back to them.

The reply came one week later when Kathleen Sabilius, director of Health and Human Services, ruled that religious institutions would be given one year to get ready to violate their conscience and comply. After that fines for violation would begin. If they refused for reasons of conscience and dropped the insurance coverage, their employees would have to go into Medicaid.

The first part of the first Amendment to the Constitution reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohiting the free exercise thereof” — a clause our current president must not have understood when he was supposed to be teaching Constitutional law at the University of Chicago some years ago.

Priscilla Weese

Wheaton