It’s back to court for Barack Obama and his advisers who are fighting for their state-run Obamacare rules and regulations.
The U.S. Supreme Court today ordered a lower appeals court to review concerns raised by Liberty University that Congress simply didn’t have the power it needed to force employers to provide federally mandated insurance – or require them to pay for abortion-related services for employees.
“Today’s ruling breaths new life into our challenge to Obamacare. Our fight against Obamacare is far from over,” he said. “Congress exceeded its power by forcing every employer to provide federally mandated insurance. But even more shocking is the abortion mandate, which collides with religious freedom and the rights of conscience.”
The case on behalf of the school and individuals Michele Waddell and JoAnne Merrill asked the Supreme Court to reverse an order from the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, which denied a petition for a writ of certiorari.
“Specifically, petitioners request that this court enter an order granting, vacating and remanding the petition because the Fourth Circuit’s determination that the Anti-Injunction Act deprived it of subject matter jurisdiction was overruled by this court in National Federation of Independent Businesses v. Sebelius.”
The NFIB case was the decision earlier this year in which the court, hinging on the vote of Chief Justice John Roberts, declared Obamacare a tax – making it the largest tax increase ever for American citizens – and within the authority of Congress.
Liberty Counsel had filed the petition for rehearing because it said the Richmond, Va., appeals court should hear the arguments on the constitutional issues at hand. Liberty Counsel said the action could pave the way for the case to return to the Supreme Court in 2013.
Specifically at issue are the demands from Obama that employers pay for government-listed health care coverages, including abortifacients and other services that Christians and others cannot accept because of their religious beliefs.
The constitutional issue is the First Amendment’s Free Exercise of Religion Clause – and the question is whether the government can order people to violate their faith. Also involved is the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
