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Hobby Lobby: Go Ahead and Fine Us, We Won’t Comply With ‘Morning-After’ Mandate

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WASHINGTON (TheBlaze/AP) — An attorney for Hobby Lobby Stores said Thursday that the arts and crafts chain plans to defy a federal mandate requiring it to offer employees health coverage that includes access to the morning-after pill, despite risking potential fines of up to $1.3 million per day.

Hobby Lobby and religious book-seller Mardel Inc., which are owned by the same conservative Christian family, are suing to block part of the federal health care law that requires employee health-care plans to provide insurance coverage for the morning-after pill and similar emergency contraception pills.

The companies claim the mandate violates the religious beliefs of their owners. They say the morning-after pill is tantamount to abortion because it can prevent a fertilized egg from becoming implanted in a woman’s womb.

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Biden: Clear ‘Mandate’ to Raise Taxes

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Vice President Joe Biden told reporters on Air Force Two today that last night’s election represented a clear “mandate” to raise taxes.

“Where specifically do you think Republicans will be willing to compromise on issues of debt/deficit?” a pool reported asked Biden.

“Well look, I think — You guys have probably looked at the internals of the vote more than I have so far,” said Biden. “But from what it appears is that, on the issue of the tax issue, there was a clear, a clear sort of mandate about people coming much closer to our view about how to deal with tax policy. I think we can move, I’d like to see us, I think we can do something on corporate taxes sooner than later. That would be positive, be a little confidence-building. And you know I just think it’s going to take time for the Republicans to sort of digest what the consequences for them internally. But i just think there’s too much, I’ve been saying to you all along and I know I may be the only guy – well, I think Clinton shares this view, President Clinton, we talked about it. But I think the fever will break. And you know, Barack’s re-elected so this sort of cause to keep a second term from happening’s done. He’s there for four years. So I think there’s going to be – I hope there’s going to be some real soul-searching about, on Republican Party, about what they’re willing to cooperate on.”

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New Obamacare Tax Form Mandates Americans Report Personal Health ID Info to IRS

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photo credit: majunznkWhen Obamacare’s individual mandate takes effect in 2014, all Americans who file income tax returns must complete an additional IRS tax form. The new form will require disclosure of a taxpayer’s personal identifying health information in order to determine compliance with the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate.

As confirmed by IRS testimony to the tax-writing House Committee on Ways and Means, “taxpayers will file their tax returns reporting their health insurance coverage, and/or making a payment”.

So why will the Obama IRS require your personal identifying health information?

Simply put, there is no way for the IRS to enforce Obamacare’s individual mandate without such an invasive reporting scheme. Every January, health insurance companies across America will send out tax documents to each insured individual. This tax document—a copy of which will be furnished to the IRS—must contain sufficient information for taxpayers to prove that they purchased qualifying health insurance under Obamacare.

This new tax information document must, at a minimum, contain: the name and health insurance identification number of the taxpayer; the name and tax identification number of the health insurance company; the number of months the taxpayer was covered by this insurance plan; and whether or not the plan was purchased in one of Obamacare’s “exchanges.”

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Second Federal Judge Halts Enforcement of Obamacare Mandate

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photo credit: Spirit JuiceA federal judge in Michigan has become the second in the nation to say he would halt the federal government’s enforcement of the Obamacare mandate that employers pay for abortifacients regardless of their religious views.

Writing that “a preliminary injunction would serve the public interest,” Judge Robert H. Cleland said in a decision issued late Wednesday that he would issue the order.

“The potential for harm to plaintiffs exists, and with the showing plaintiffs have made thus far of being able to convincingly prove their case at trial, it is properly characterized as irreparable.”

The case was brought against the federal government by the Thomas More Law Center on behalf of Legatus, a coalition of Catholic business owners, Daniel Weingartz and his company, Weingartz Supply.

The judge’s decision means the federal government will not be allowed to enforce its abortion mandate against the company until the lawsuit is resolved. The decision does not affect Legatus, the judge ruled, because, as a nonprofit, the rules for that application remain in development.

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