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Thomas More Law Center Obtains Order Enjoining Enforcement of HHS Mandate Against Thomas Monaghan and His Domino’s Farms Corporation

admin — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 15:53:50 +0000

March 17, 2013 / MariaNews.com

Thomas More Law Center Obtains Order Enjoining Enforcement of HHS Mandate Against Thomas Monaghan and His Domino’s Farms Corporation

ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 14, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ — The Thomas More Law Center (TMLC), a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, announced that Federal District Court Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff of the Eastern District of Michigan, today, granted a Motion for a Preliminary Injunction against enforcement of the HHS Mandate filed by TMLC on behalf of Plaintiffs Tom Monaghan and his property management company, Domino’s Farm Corporation. Judge Zatkoff previously ruled in favor of granting an emergency temporary restraining order. The preliminary injunction extends the previous ruling to protect the plaintiffs for the entire pendency of the case.
Judge Zatkoff’s ruling halts enforcement of the HHS mandate against Monaghan and his property management company, Domino’s Farms Corporation of which he is the owner and sole shareholder. Domino’s Farms Corporation manages an Office Complex owned by Monaghan and is not to be confused with Domino’s Pizza. Monaghan sold the Pizza company in 1998 and has no active affiliation with it at this time. The HHS mandate refers to regulations adopted by the Department of Health and Human Services that forces employers, regardless of their religious convictions, to provide insurance coverage for abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and contraception under threat of heavy penalties.

Click here to read Judge Zatkoff’s entire opinion.

Judge Zatkoff’s decision protects our freedoms granted under the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The Government argued against the preliminary injunction by claiming that once a business owner chooses to enter into the marketplace, he surrenders his right to exercise his religious beliefs. Erin Mersino, TMLC’s lead counsel on the case, provided for the Court in briefing the quotation from President Ronald Reagan, “To those who cite the First Amendment as reason for excluding God from more and more of our institutions and everyday life, may I just say: The First Amendment of the Constitution was not written to protect the people of this country from religious values; it was written to protect religious values from government tyranny.”

For purposes of the preliminary injunction, Judge Zatkoff focused only on the unconstitutional nature of the HHS Mandate due its infringement on Mr. Monaghan’s exercise of religion. Judge Zatkoff held that he did not need to engage in a separate discussion of Plaintiffs’ Constitutional right to the Free Exercise of Religion since both theories seek to protect the same liberty interest — the free practice of one’s religion.

TMLC’s attorney Erin Mersino, commented, “The HHS Mandate forces our clients to provide abortion causing drugs to their employees when doing so is a direct violation of the teachings of the Catholic Church and our clients’ sincerely held religious beliefs. The Court’s decision today upholds everyone’s freedom of religion and rights protected by the Constitution.”

The Government is expected to appeal Judge Zatkoff’s ruling to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Thomas More Law Center defends and promotes America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and moral values, including the religious freedom of Christians, time-honored family values, and the sanctity of human life. It supports a strong national defense and an independent and sovereign United States of America. The Law Center accomplishes its mission through litigation, education, and related activities. It does not charge for its services. The Law Center is supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, and is recognized by the IRS as a section 501(c)(3) organization. You may reach the Thomas More Law Center at (734) 827-2001 or visit our website atwww.thomasmore.org.

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Government Healthcare…A Culture of Death vs. Catholic Healthcare…A Culture of Life

admin — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 20:46:56 +0000

March 8, 2013 / MariaNews.com

Government Healthcare…A Culture of Death vs. Catholic Healthcare…A Culture of Life

STANTON, Ky., March 8, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ – The fate of the U.S. healthcare system is uncertain. The Obama Administration continues to restrict the freedoms of Christian organizations while advancing a culture of death. Christian and Catholic organizations have united in various lawsuits to challenge the legality of measures such as the HHS Mandate. Meanwhile some Christian and Catholic institutions have waivered in varying degrees from Church teachings by offering healthcare services that are contrary to their Christian faith. There is a cultural divide in our Country, but the culture of life will ultimately prevail.

Where there is faith there is hope. A little-known organization called Catholic Healthcare International Foundation (“CHIF”) has launched an initiative to bring authentic and fully faithful Catholic healthcare to the United States. The mission for this organization began in a little village in Italy called San Giovanni Rotondo, where a priest known as Padre Pio created a house for the relief of suffering, called Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (In English: The Home For The Relief Of Suffering). “We will build a Cathedral of Love,” said Padre Pio. The Casa was to be a place of both spiritual and physical healing. The Casa is located in a largely underserved area of Italy known for its poverty and has grown from 300 beds to over 1,000 beds. Padre Pio was canonized a saint of the Church on June 16, 2002 by Pope John Paul II.

Fast forward to present day: CHIF has embarked on a mission to bring St. Pio’s vision of healthcare to the United States. On October 24, 2011, CHIF opened a state-of-the-art, comprehensive clinic in Stanton, Kentucky called Casa San Pio Media Clinic. The Clinic is nestled at the foothills of Appalachia, one of the poorest regions in the United States. To date the U.S. Clinic has served over 5,000 patients many of whom were not covered by insurance. The Clinic is the first phase under a Collaboration Agreement with the Vatican-owned hospital to launch a U.S. based healthcare initiative loyal to the Magesterium of the Church.

Jere Palazzolo, the Founder and President of CHIF, believes that the timing of this initiative is no accident. “Our culture is in need of healing,” said Palazzolo. “Our foundation is dedicated to providing a Home for the Relief of Suffering here in the United States. We will stay true to our Christian values and we will promote a culture of faith, family and life.”

Casa San Pio Medical Clinic is the first phase in a long-term mission. Future phases of the initiative include opening additional Clinics, opening a Shrine and retreat center, opening a hospital and eventually creating a medical school fully faithful and loyal to all Church teachings.

The Casa San Pio Clinic in Stanton, Kentucky is gearing up to open its Pediatrics Department. “When Christians stand together there is nothing we cannot do,” said Palazzolo. “Just as David defeated Goliath, we can defeat a Culture of Death through faith, prayer and healing ministries. We are inviting Christians and people of good will to join us in supporting Christian healthcare. The Appalachia region needs our help and we are dedicated to serving those in need.”

Casa San Pio has launched an Indiegogo based Crowd Funding Campaign to support the launch of its Pediatrics Department.

Check out the Indiegogo campaign here.

Also see www.Chi-Usa.com

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Does For-Profit Businesses Have Right to Religious Liberty?

admin — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:21:44 +0000

February 22, 2013 / MariaNews.com

Does For-Profit Businesses Have Right to Religious Liberty?

By Cybercast News Service

WASHINGTON, DC (CNS NEWS) – Republican members of Congress have weighed in on the legal battle being waged over the Obamacare mandate requiring employers to provide contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs to employees.

Eleven senators and congressmen filed an amicus brief, also known as a friend-of-the-court brief, with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit on Tuesday in support of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., a Christian-owned and operated corporation that opposes the mandate based on its owners’ religious beliefs. Hobby Lobby filed suit against Health and Human Services and Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Rep. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) was one of the lead sponsors of the Religious Freedom Reformation Act of 1993, which he said was designed to protect the religious liberty of all Americans, even those who own corporations or other for-profit businesses.

“As one of the lead sponsors of RFRA, it’s deeply troubling to see this White House trample on the religious freedom the law seeks to protect,” Hatch said in a written statement.

The brief states: “Amici are federal legislators who were part of the broad, bipartisan coalition that enacted the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (“RFRA”). Amici designed and passed RFRA to establish a blanket default rule that would insulate religious liberty from the shifting fortunes of interest-group politics.

“Defendants have ordered that certain employers’ insurance plans must cover all FDA-approved contraceptives without cost-sharing (the “HHS mandate”), but have refused to exempt many employers with sincere religious objections. Amici have an interest in vindicating RFRA’s blanket protections against the selective and stingy approach adopted by Defendants.”

In addition to Hatch, the brief was signed by Sens. Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), and Reps. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), and Frank Wolf (R-Va.).

At an event at the Family Research Council on Wednesday to discuss the threat Obamacare poses to Americans’ religious freedoms, Adele Keim, legal counsel with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represents Hobby Lobby, said that HHS is trying to make the distinction between non-profit and for-profit, with the latter being said to be secular and exempt from religious consideration.

“In the Hobby Lobby case, HHS’s lawyers have argued that business owners don’t have religious liberty at all when it comes to how they run their businesses,” Keim said. “According to HHS, that’s because the corporate form, which was designed centuries ago to limit liability, insulates them from the moral consequences of their actions.”

Keim said that HHS claims the for-profit nature of a corporation does not make the religious belief of its owner relevant.

“But of course, there’s nothing in the First Amendment that says you lose your religious liberty when you make a living,” Keim said.

Kyle Duncan, general counsel with Becket, said the lawmakers’ brief shows that the Obamacare mandate goes against federal civil rights law.

“While any brief by sitting members of Congress is significant, this one comes from members who originally supported the federal civil rights law-the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993-which is at the heart of the mandate challenges,” Duncan said.

“The brief leaves no doubt that Congress intended to protect the religious freedom of those like Hobby Lobby and its founder, David Green, against federal attempts to force them to insure abortion-inducing drugs,” Duncan added.

According to Becket, there are 47 legal court cases opposing the HHS mandate, with more than 130 plaintiffs being represented.

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Priests for Life Secure Religious Freedom Exemption from Obamacare

admin — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:56:08 +0000

January 8, 2012 / MariaNews.com

Priests for Life Secure Religious Freedom Exemption from Obamacare

By Priests for Life

STATEN ISLAND, NY (Priests for Life) – Priests for Life has scored a victory in its challenge to the religious-freedom-busting HHS mandate. Lawyers for the Obama administration stipulated that the pro-life organization would not have to offer contraception, sterilization services and abortifacient drugs through its employee health insurance plan.

Charles S. LiMandri, president and chief counsel for the Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund, which filed Priests for Life’s lawsuit against the government in February 2012 (the fourth such lawsuit), said the government changed its stance after a judge in the District Court for the Eastern District of New York said he would be inclined to side with the pro-life group. Priests for Life argued that it was a religious organization that should be exempt from the rule.

The American Freedom Law Center, which filed suit jointly with LiMandri, noted that the agreement came as a result of the court strongly urging the government to enter into the stipulation. If an agreement was not reached by December 21, the court scheduled a hearing for December 26, at which time it was evident the court would order the injunction.

The agreement will stay in effect at least until the government issues new regulations covering contraceptive services under the health care law.

“We are not expecting the government to come up with regulations that we can accept, but this is still an important first step,” said Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life. “We were prepared to violate the mandate on Jan. 1, at great expense to our organization. We are very grateful to the court that we did not have to take that step, and we remain confident that this unjust mandate will be entirely and permanently struck down.”

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Priests for Life is the nation’s largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.

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Most states bucking Obamacare, but law will stay

admin — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 19:27:02 +0000

December 14, 2012 / MariaNews.com

Most states bucking Obamacare, but law will stay

By Catholic Online

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) – Tonight is the federal deadline for states to tell Obama if they will build their own insurance exchanges or if they will leave the business to the federal government. So far, only 15 states have said they will do the work themselves, leaving the government responsible for the rest.

The insurance exchanges must be able to connect buyers to sellers, allowing people to shop for their insurance. Insurance purchase is mandatory under Obamacare. In addition to private insurance, those who earn up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level can qualify for Medicare. Under Obamacare, insurance exchanges must be set up in all states before Oct. 1, so all people may apply and obtain coverage by Jan. 1, 2014.

Experts say the final tally of states opting to run their own exchanges could reach as high as 18 before the end of the day.

However, the work of setting up an exchange is daunting and expensive and many states are reluctant to take on the enterprise. Politics are also playing a role with Republican-controlled states complaining about the cost of compliance and the lack of information they need to do the job properly.

Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) said, “The uncertain regulatory environment and the overall lack of response from HHS are not encouraging the states or the health plans to move forward.”

Still, Obamacare is now the law of the land, and both states and individuals, like it or not, will have to comply with all of its provisions. Some of those provisions, such as theHHS edict mandating employer-funded contraception and abortifacients for women on demand, remain caught up in challenges before the courts.

Regardless of the outcome of those challenges however, Obamacare appears here to stay, no matter how much the Republicans complain.

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Federal Court system braces for layoffs as fiscal cliff looms

admin — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 20:37:41 +0000

December 10, 2012 / MariaNews.com

Federal Court system braces for layoffs as fiscal cliff looms

FoxNews.com - The federal court system is bracing for the possibility of thousands of layoffs or furloughs next month, marking the latest branch of government to plan for the worst in case Congress and the White House fail to avert the looming fiscal crisis.

The cuts would force federal courts to lay off up to 2,000 employees or furlough 20,000 employees for 16 days, according to a Dec. 4 letter to federal chief judges around the country from the Judicial Conference of the United States.

David Sentelle, chairman of the executive committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States, said even after cutting spending on information technology and other areas, “some local staff reductions” will be needed.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/12/10/court-system-braces-for-layoffs-as-clock-on-fiscal-crisis-ticks/#ixzz2EgQzbTQG

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Harry Reid Blocks Vote on Obama Plan to Avert Fiscal Cliff

admin — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 18:09:09 +0000

December 6, 2012 / MariaNews.com

Harry Reid Blocks Vote on Obama Plan to Avert Fiscal Cliff

Breitbart.com - On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) turned down an opportunity to allow the Senate to vote on President Barack Obama’s proposal to avert the fiscal cliff, proving that Obama’s plan is so unreasonable that Senate Democrats do not even want to vote for it.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) offered an amendment to a Russian trade bill that was being considered to force a vote on Obama’s “ridiculous” plan.

“Last week [Treasury] Secretary [Timothy] Geithner brought up a proposal that was so unserious,” McConnell said. “I would like to see if my Democratic friends would like to support it.”

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Citi slashes 11,000 jobs thanks to Obama regulations

admin — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 01:04:36 +0000

December 5, 2012 / MariaNews.com

Citi slashes 11,000 jobs thanks to Obama regulations
By Catholic Online

NEW YORK, NY (Catholic Online) – Citigroup is one of the world’s largest firms with nearly two trillion dollars in assets worldwide. For many Americans, Citi provides banking and checking services as well as credit and investments.

The new CEO of the company, Michael Corbat, 52, took over in October and has set out to reduce operating expenses. In January, his plan will cut 11,000 jobs and reduce some global operations. Many of the streamlined jobs will be in other countries besides the U.S.

The move is expected to save Citi nearly $1 billion in 2013. The announcement has already caused Citi’s share price to move upwards by 4 percent.

The anticipated percentage reduction of the workforce is about 4.2 percent.

The reasons for the cut include a number of changes in the fiscal landscape. As President Obama’s new tax increases and a variety of fiscal regulations impact the industry, the banking giant must make tough choices to comply while upholding its fiduciary responsibilities.

Also a factor is the fiscal cliff and European debt crisis. Both events could have a major, adverse impact on the banking industry as a whole should either one come to a head.

The bankers themselves are also seeing some cuts. Bonuses for some divisions are being cut by as much as 10 percent, particularly in the securities unit of the company.

New capital rules are to blame, which are compelling banks across the nation to slash both staff and pay to continue generating any profit at all.

Some staff can be replaced with computers and upgraded technology, while others will simply have to work harder to finish their tasks. This is common in any industry where staff is reduced.

The ultimate hope is to protect Citigroups investments around the world, and to allow the company to remain competitive in the global market. Of course, if governments, particularly in the U.S. continue to change the rules of banking, then further changes may have to be made in the years to come.

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Group turns to social media to rally support for Papa John’s amid liberal backlash

admin — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:21:54 +0000

November 13, 2012 / MariaNews.com

Group turns to social media to rally support for Papa John’s amid liberal backlash

FoxNews.com - Daniel Wetter is just 16 years old, but his plan to support pizza chain Papa John’s amid a backlash of liberal criticism is no pie-in-the-sky idea.

Wetter is part of an upstart group called Rebooting America that is proposing that Friday be a national day of appreciation for the pizza chain, whose chief executive officer is being attacked for saying employees’ hours might be cut to cover the cost of implementing their health insurance under ObamaCare.

The conservative group has hatched a social media-based campaign that centers on encouraging people to buy a pizza pie at a Papa John’s store, taking a photo of the outing and then posting it on a Facebook page or tweeting it.

“We just wanted to stand with Papa John’s because it is under attack,” said Wetter, who volunteered with Mitt Romney’s campaign and credits fellow conservative activist Justen Charters with coming up with the idea
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/12/teen-rallies-social-media-effort-to-support-papa-john-others-amid-liberal/?test=lates#ixzz2C7lS4zsQ

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Hobby Lobby Attacked for Stance Against HHS Mandate and ObamaCare

admin — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 16:04:31 +0000

September 21, 2012 / MariaNews.com

Hobby Lobby Attacked for Stance Against HHS Mandate and ObamaCare

FoxNews.com - A Christian-owned chain of hobby shops is facing a bitter backlash after suing the Obama administration over new requirements to provide insured employees with contraceptive and abortion coverage.

Oklahoma-based Hobby Lobby filed the suit Sept. 12 in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City, alleging that the ObamaCare mandate violates the religious beliefs of the company’s owners. The suit followed similar suits by Catholic colleges and a Denver-based company whose owners also objected to the mandate on religious grounds. While a judge has not yet ruled on Hobby Lobby’s suit, a Facebook page calling for a boycott of the company, which operates 500 stores in 41 states, has appeared online, and several other forums have featured posts urging customers to steer clear of Hobby Lobby.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/09/20/growing-boycott-against-retail-chain-hobby-lobby-after-lawsuit-against-health/#ixzz277XwNgax

Support Hobby Lobby: http://hobbylobby.com/

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