[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 46 (Monday, March 24, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H2592]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HHS MANDATES
(Mr. FLEMING asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute.)
Mr. FLEMING. Mr. Speaker, jobs, health care, health insurance, and
the First Amendment are all on the line this week when the Supreme
Court hears about the threats posed by the Obama administration's HHS
mandate. The question is simply this: Can the government use the threat
of crippling fines to force the owners of a business to violate their
own deeply held beliefs?
Two family-owned businesses that already provide good health coverage
for their employees believe they should not be forced to pay for drugs
and devices that are potentially life ending. But the Obama
administration, which has waived or delayed other ObamaCare mandates,
has fought for its HHS mandate all of the way to the Supreme Court. If
the administration gets its way, the good jobs and the health insurance
these businesses have provided may be lost and religious freedom will
be assaulted.
The First Amendment protects the freedom of Americans to live and
work according to their beliefs, and the Supreme Court must uphold that
freedom.
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