Ohio House Votes Against the Obama Mandate
Resolution Defending Religious Liberty Advances to Pro-Life Senate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: Thursday, February 16, 2012
PHONE: (614) 547-0099 ext. 309
(COLUMBUS) – The Ohio House of Representatives passed House Concurrent Resolution 35, calling on President Obama to reverse the HHS mandate requiring employers to pay for abortion-causing drugs.
“Requiring religious-based organizations to cover such drugs blatantly violates the conscience rights of individuals,” said Stephanie Krider, Director of Legislative Affairs for Ohio Right to Life. “If an employer has a moral objection to such coverage, this new federal mandate will force them to comply. This completely contradicts our rights of religious liberty.”
The “Obama mandate” requires health plans to cover all FDA-approved forms of contraception which include both Plan B and Ella, more commonly known as “emergency contraception” or “the morning-after pill”. There is significant evidence that these drugs can cause an abortion by preventing a human embryo from implanting in the womb.
Even with the so-called “compromise” offered last week, Ohio Right to Life and other pro-life groups will continue to protest this overreaching mandate. This resolution manifests that Ohioans will not stand for the outright denial of freedom by any version of the mandate.
Ohio Right to Life is grateful to Representative Barbara Sears and Representative Peter Stautberg for sponsoring this life-affirming resolution.
“People of all faiths, including Catholicism, Judaism, Christian Science, Jehovah’s Witnesses and others, should be very concerned that the government is forcing its will upon the conscience of its congregates,” said Representative Sears. “This is a critical issue and a clear overreach of the federal government’s power into an area they should not be meddling.”
“The federal government should not force employers to offer a product that violates their conscience or force religious leaders to act against their own teachings,” said Representative Stautberg. “We are sending a message to President Obama and Washington that here in the state of Ohio, we believe that religious freedom is worth defending.”
All pro-life Ohioans are encouraged to contact their elected representatives to support this resolution and express their opposition to the Obama mandate. A directory of office holders can be found by clicking here.