Although the national health insurance debate may not directly relate to religious liberty, we felt the Eleventh Circuit’s refreshing decision concerning health care is certainly worthy of reporting. Last week, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the individual mandate required in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (known as “ObamaCare”) is unconstitutional.
According to the Court, Congress cannot "mandate that individuals enter into contracts with private insurance companies for the purchase of an expensive product from the time they are born until the time they die."
The Court further went on to say:
“Few powers, if any, could be more attractive to Congress than compelling the purchase of certain products. Yet even if we focus on the modern era, when congressional power under the Commerce Clause has been at its height, Congress still has not asserted this authority. Even in the face of a Great Depression, a World War, a Cold War, recessions, oil shocks, inflation, and unemployment, Congress never sought to require the purchase of wheat or war bonds, force a higher savings rate or greater consumption of American goods, or require every American to purchase a more fuel efficient vehicle.”We celebrate the 2-1 majority vote of the Court to call the ObamaCare mandate unconstitutional. Since this decision differs from another federal appeals court ruling earlier this year which upheld the individual mandate, this case will very likely go to the US Supreme Court next.
Once a new federal law is established, there are often hundreds of pages of regulations adopted by non-elected officials who implement the law. ObamaCare has raised serious concerns regarding how politicians and regulators will use this new law to promote abortion and other causes that are repugnant to the Christian faith.
If the Supreme Court does not overturn ObamaCare for its individual mandate, we will monitor the implementation of ObamaCare in order to protect religious liberty and traditional values. We will keep you updated on what happens in the ongoing case of ObamaCare.