The Department of Health & Human Services and Republican congressional leaders are clashing again, this time over regulations for administering federal welfare programs, which were reformed in 1996 to implement work requirements for recipients. The ’96 reform was a needed change to a program that was correctly criticized for fostering dependency –turning the social safety net into a hammoc... More

Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.) I applaud the bill Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin) has put before the House of Representatives, the one endorsed earlier today by the CatholicVote Legislative Team. Not only because it seeks to restore religious liberty in this country, but because it will do so for all persons of religious conviction and not just those who operate explicitly religious ins... More

Have you been called partisan recently? I think it happens to me about five times a day. Either in an e-mail, or a comment, or, worse, in an e-mail about my alleged partisanship which is sent to my boss… or to just random people at my work with important-sounding titles, people who could probably get me in trouble. I get called “partisan” a lot. Though I don’t like being labele... More

Today, First lady Michelle Obama – whose husband defends higher taxes, gay marriage and universal healthcare on Biblical grounds – spoke to members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church at a conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The following is just a part of what she said: Our faith journey isn’t just about showing up on Sunday for a good sermon and good music and a good meal. It’s a... More

The majority decision of the Supreme Court today says that it is. Chief Justice Roberts agrees, saying, “Because the Constitution permits such a tax, it is not our role to forbid it, or to pass upon its wisdom or fairness”. But there’s a big problem with that interpretation. The Obama administration claimed that the mandate penalty was not a tax. The legislation is written in a ... More

Good grief, they’re either ungrateful, blind, or both. A quick survey of political issues of the day and the political party which tends to holds the position the U.S. bishops tend to lean toward: Immigration: Democratic. Open borders. Social welfare programs: Democratic. Spend more money. Obamacare (pre-HHS mandate): Democratic. Increase access to healthcare. Labor laws: Democratic. Protec... More

Sister Carol Keehan utterly, tragically misses the point. With analysis by CV blogger Matt Bowman the Cardinal Newman Society reports that the Catholic Health Association and its leader, Sister Carol, have proposed that the HHS mandate be expanded to exempt religious institutions according to the same criteria that the IRS uses for religious tax exemptions. CNS gets into reasons why this is still ... More

It’s a variation of the “I’m not racist, I’ve got black friends” line. You know: it’s supposed to be some sort of “amulet against potentially career-destroying accusations of prejudice,” or something. And it has been totally Derbyshired (or “Derbed” for short). Anyhow, that’s essentially what the President has been saying lately. Se... More

UPDATE: Father Z has a roundup of those filing suit, by the Federal District they filed in, I believe: 1. D.D.C. Lawsuit o Archdiocese of Washington o Consortium of Catholic Academies o Archbishop Carroll High School o Catholic Charities of D.C. o The Catholic University of America 2. E.D.N.Y. Lawsuit o Diocese of Rockville Centre o Catholic Health Services of Long Island o Catholic Charities of R... More

Author’s note: After a discussion in the comments and investigation on my part I have added a postscript clarifying something that may have been inaccurate but was not. Cheers. ———- “If you like your health care coverage you can keep it. ” In various phrasings this was one of the more oft-repeated reasons  we were given to support, or at least not to oppose, Ob... More