{"id":2382,"date":"2012-02-22T15:22:31","date_gmt":"2012-02-22T20:22:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithandjustice\/?p=2382"},"modified":"2012-02-23T12:21:04","modified_gmt":"2012-02-23T17:21:04","slug":"jay-sekulow-70000-americans-urge-reversal-of-hhs-regs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2012\/02\/jay-sekulow-70000-americans-urge-reversal-of-hhs-regs.html","title":{"rendered":"Jay Sekulow: 70,000 Americans Urge Reversal of HHS Regs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The opposition to the mandate and compromise put in place by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) continues to grow as pressure continues to be applied to HHS Secretary Sebelius<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We have sent a detailed legal analysis<\/a> to Secretary Sebelius on behalf of nearly 70,000 Americans<\/a>\u00a0 – urging the Secretary to reverse the troubling regulations put in place – measures that violate religious liberty and the conscience rights of millions of Americans.<\/p>\n

We’ve been reporting in detail on the problems<\/a> with the HHS regulations. The mandate requires religious institutions, such as religious schools and hospitals, to include abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and contraception in their insurance policies for employees. A so-called “accommodation” was then issued after a tremendous public outcry occurred opposing the mandate.<\/p>\n

The fact is that these regulations are not about health care. They represent a dangerous power play by the federal government. It’s the ultimate in government intrusion, representing a significant threat to religious organizations.<\/p>\n

Our legal analysis is clear: this is not only bad policy, it is unconstitutional as well.<\/p>\n

The analysis, which is posted here<\/a>, explains in detail why the mandate violates the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause as well as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The letter also notes that the “accommodation” is “a smoke and mirrors game” that does nothing to remove the burden on religious exercise imposed by the contraception mandate.<\/p>\n

We urge Secretary Sebelius to take immediate corrective action:<\/p>\n

“Whether mandating that religious employers or individuals violate their conscience by directly paying for contraceptives, or by contributing to a health insurance plan that is mandated to provide contraceptives, the comprehensive guidelines violate the First Amendment, and RFRA. The HHS should revise the comprehensive guidelines and remove the requirement that all insurance companies make contraceptives an obligatory part of every insurance package.”<\/p>\n

We’re delighted that nearly 70,000 Americans signed on to our petition<\/a> demanding the HHS reverse these disturbing regulations.<\/p>\n

We’ve already told you about the growing number of Americans who oppose<\/a> the mandate and compromise. And, of course, the Catholic Church, which has been extremely vocal in its opposition, isn’t backing down. All 180 Roman Catholic Bishops<\/a> have now publicly denounced the HHS regulations.<\/p>\n

There are now reports that\u00a0Obama Administration officials will begin meeting “in the coming days”<\/a> with religious organizations and insurers to try to hammer out policies “that respect religious liberty. . . .”<\/p>\n

There’s a simple way to do that, if the Obama Administration is serious. As we have said from the very start, eliminate the mandate and all language that requires people of faith to violate their deeply help religious beliefs.<\/p>\n

The opposition isn’t going away. The public outcry isn’t going to stop. Mr. President and Secretary Sebelius, are you listening?<\/p>\n

Jay Sekulow<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The opposition to the mandate and compromise put in place by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) continues to grow as pressure continues to be applied to HHS Secretary Sebelius. We have sent a detailed legal analysis to Secretary Sebelius on behalf of nearly 70,000 Americans\u00a0 – urging the Secretary to reverse the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":401,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65,54],"tags":[750,398,211,396,749,581],"class_list":["post-2382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-obamacare","category-religious-freedom","tag-abortion","tag-conscience-rights","tag-free-exercise-clause","tag-hhs","tag-pro-life","tag-secretary-sebelius"],"yoast_head":"\nJay Sekulow: 70,000 Americans Urge Reversal of HHS Regs - Faith & Justice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2012\/02\/jay-sekulow-70000-americans-urge-reversal-of-hhs-regs.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jay Sekulow: 70,000 Americans Urge Reversal of HHS Regs - Faith & Justice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The opposition to the mandate and compromise put in place by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) continues to grow as pressure continues to be applied to HHS Secretary Sebelius. We have sent a detailed legal analysis to Secretary Sebelius on behalf of nearly 70,000 Americans\u00a0 – urging the Secretary to reverse the…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2012\/02\/jay-sekulow-70000-americans-urge-reversal-of-hhs-regs.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Faith & Justice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-02-22T20:22:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2012-02-23T17:21:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithandjustice\/files\/2011\/08\/897108741-300x199.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jay Sekulow\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Jay Sekulow: 70,000 Americans Urge Reversal of HHS Regs - Faith & Justice","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2012\/02\/jay-sekulow-70000-americans-urge-reversal-of-hhs-regs.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Jay Sekulow: 70,000 Americans Urge Reversal of HHS Regs - Faith & Justice","og_description":"The opposition to the mandate and compromise put in place by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) continues to grow as pressure continues to be applied to HHS Secretary Sebelius. 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He is also Chief Counsel of the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ). Jay Sekulow is one of the leading defenders of constitutional rights and religious liberties in the United States. Over the past 25 years, Jay Sekulow has amassed an unparalleled record of accomplishment, arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court on 12 occasions. His aggressive litigation strategy before the Supreme Court has led to many landmark First Amendment victories. In his first case before the Supreme Court, Jews for Jesus, Jay Sekulow secured the right of religious groups to pass out tracks in airports. In Mergens, Jay Sekulow successfully protected the right of students to form Bible clubs and prayer groups on public school campuses. In Lamb\u2019s Chapel, Jay Sekulow cleared the way for churches to have equal access to public facilities in the same way that other groups are permitted to utilize those facilities. In the Bray and Operation Rescue cases, Jay Sekulow protected the free speech rights of pro-life advocates to be free from criminal prosecution for conveying their pro-life message. In McConnell v. FEC, Jay Sekulow protected the right of young people to engage in the political process by donating to the campaign of their choice. In Pleasant Grove, Jay Sekulow paved the way for governments to be able to display Ten Commandments monuments, and other monuments of their choosing, in public parks. Through the ACLJ, Jay Sekulow engages the political, legal, and cultural battles facing America today. He routinely works with Members of Congress, advising them on proposed legislation and representing them in critical legal matters. Jay Sekulow has also testified before Congress on the constitutionality of proposed legislation. Also, in addition to being a successful Supreme Court advocate, Jay Sekulow is a highly respected broadcaster. Jay Sekulow is the host of Jay Sekulow Live! which airs each weekday on over 850 radio stations nationwide, in addition Sirius and XM satellite radio. He brings insight and education to listeners daily through this national call-in radio program. He is also the host of the ACLJ This Week, the ACLJ\u2019s weekly television program. Jay Sekulow regularly appears on major media outlets, including FOX News, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC, where he is sought out for his vast experience in constitutional law and his unique insight into many of the pressing legal and political issues facing America today. He is frequently quoted in the nation's leading newspapers and often contributes opinion editorials to national publications. Jay Sekulow has also published numerous law review and other scholarly articles. Jay Sekulow has received numerous honors for his groundbreaking legal work in the area of free speech and religious liberties. The Legal Times has named Sekulow one of \u201cThe 90 Greatest Washington Lawyers of the Last 30 Years\u201d and the National Law Journal has twice named Sekulow one of the \u201c100 Most Influential Lawyers\u201d in the United States. In addition, TIME Magazine listed Jay Sekulow as one of the \"25 Most Influential Evangelicals\" in America. Jay Sekulow\u2019s legal work in defense of religious liberties and human rights extends beyond the United States, having founded the ECLJ in Strasbourg, France, which maintains consultative status with the United Nations. He has also opened offices in Pakistan, Africa, and Jerusalem, Israel. Jay Sekulow is a staunch defender of Israel, presenting arguments before the International Criminal Court at the Hague. His efforts in support of Israel\u2019s right to defend itself from terrorist attacks have been commended by Israeli government officials, one official stating, \"Jay was instrumentally-involved in projects that the President of Israel and the Prime Minister put on our national agenda.\" Jay Sekulow also has a passion for educating the next generation of religious liberty advocates. He is a member of the Regent University Law School Faculty as a Distinguished Professor of Law and routinely teaches courses on constitutional law and presents guest lectures. Jay Sekulow has also started educational programs in international human rights law in Strasbourg, France and at Handong University in South Korea. Jay Sekulow is a graduate of Mercer University, earning both a bachelor\u2019s degree and doctor of jurisprudence. Sekulow served on the editorial staff of the Mercer Law Review and graduated cum laude. He later earned a Ph.D. from Regent University, writing his dissertation on American Legal History. Jay Sekulow also serves on the Board of Trustees for The Supreme Court Historical Society in Washington, D.C. Jay Sekulow, ACLJ Chief Counsels full biography and video. Jay Sekulow on Facebook. Jay Sekulow on Twitter. Jay Sekulow on YouTube.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/author\/jay_sekulow"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/401"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2382"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2382\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2403,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2382\/revisions\/2403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}