STATEMENT 2.6.12 Health Care Mandate
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Transcript of STATEMENT 2.6.12 Health Care Mandate
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8/3/2019 STATEMENT 2.6.12 Health Care Mandate
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BOB TURNERMEMBER OF CONGRESS
9TH
DISTRICT, NEW YORK
2104 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT
February 06, 2012 Trey Stapleton (202) 225-6616
Congressman Turner Objects To Anti-Religious Healthcare Mandate
(WASHINGTON) Congressman Turner released the following statement regarding the healthcare mandate
recently enacted by the Department of Health and Human Services:
Every person of faith, regardless of their religion, should be greatly concerned about this healthcare mandate
which will force non-profit religious organizations to provide insurance coverage that is contrary to their
beliefs. The Department of Health and Human Services issued a rule requiring private employers to provide
free insurance coverage for all FDA-approved prescription contraceptives. This contraceptive mandate
includes devices and drugs that have abortion-causing properties, including IUDs and the morning-after pillsElla and Plan B.
As a Catholic and an American who believes in religious freedom, the thought of the government forcing an
organization to go against its very morals is appalling. Take a second to consider what might be next. This could
open the door to further mandates that will force religious institutions to choose between providing care for
people in a way that fits their values and beliefs or face penalties from the very government that was founded
on protecting those values and beliefs.
This new mandate is a violation of the First Amendment, which allows the free exercise of religion. It will
have a profound impact on the future of religious practice in our country leading to government control over
other areas of religious practice that may be too difficult to reverse.
Allowing our government to discredit the rights and protections laid out in the Constitution is not something
we can allow. This issue, which transcends partisan politics, is too important for us to ignore. That is why I co-
sponsored H.R. 1179, the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011, a bill which allows employers to decline
coverage for specific items and services that are contrary to their religious beliefs.
To require someone to violate the very tenets of their faith in order to comply with this mandate is
unacceptable and must be reversed immediately. Our country is one of different ideas. To allow there to be a
belief that one point of view should be allowed to force people of faith to go against their principles ignores
our Constitution, and will mark a disturbing time in our nations history.
This mandate penalizes religious organizations simply because they choose to follow beliefs that are older
than our country itself.
Everyone of faith should be alarmed, for this very action might empower the government to believe that their
ideas trump your values as well. That one day, you too will have to choose between caring for your fellow man
the way you believe is right and being penalized for following your values.
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