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Obama's grand miscalculation with Catholics

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    Ashley McGuire on whether this will cost him support in the election

  • Duration 6:58
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-- doubt this week that 43 different Catholic -- cities across our nation are suing the Obama administration.

And response to the health and human services rule mandating in poor health care coverage.

Of contraception abortion inducing drugs and sterilization.

And it came with a blow as you can imagine -- the president's strength among Catholics a demographic that helped carry him to victory and 2008 so what is on the lions.

Of these Catholic entities and what is the bone that they have to pick and how far are they willing to go with this.

Joining us now is actually -- she is senior fellow at the Catholic association we're glad she's on board with us this morning actually thank you.

Think it's going to be here well -- -- -- answer my question if you will what is the purpose of doing.

So.

Yeah I think that Catholics.

-- Catholic institution's first of all we've never seen a religious liberty lawsuit of this magnitude and United States ever before.

And I think what's happening is that these Catholic institutions are realizing they don't have time to wait they don't have time to wait for congress to act they don't have time to wait for the HHS to finish at this comment period.

The time to act is now.

We're talking about soup kitchens closing down charities closing down.

And for these institutions.

They need to serve -- -- they need to serve the needy and they can't wait so they're saying are we are religious conscience or religious rights are on the line.

And we're gonna act now OK I want -- with you because I don't want it -- -- go down a road where people don't understand when you say soup kitchens -- why these things are closing explain it to me.

Sure absolutely.

What -- -- the situation that therein is.

The Obama administration's HHS mandate which -- require religious employers Catholic institutions all religious institutions.

To essentially cover contraceptives sterilization and abortion inducing drugs.

In the health care plans and for many of these institutions that violates core religious beliefs that violates the core Catholic tenets.

Of these institutions and they are simply unwilling to violate their beliefs and they firmly believes that their first amendment rights need to be protected.

So do you see it going this far is this happening where people are not served while this argument goes on.

You know it's hard to say what's gonna happen whether or not that.

He's he's Catholic institutions well practiced Civil Disobedience I know that if I remember us a lot of people -- -- -- trying to understand how far could this really ago.

Yes absolutely and I think you know -- now the pressure all eyes are on the Obama administration because we're facing the toughest economic times we've seen in decades.

And he's essentially saying he's willing to see these institutes.

Forced to choose between crippling finds finds.

Thousands millions of dollars worth of fines but could shut down these institutions -- I see what you're saying so different if in fact they do business the way that they feel religiously they need to do business to go forward.

They -- bent bending breaking this new mandate law and they would have to pay all these fine so essentially everybody's getting hurt is being served way because.

That money would be needed to see the forward -- Absolutely I hope it's a fine -- -- that's the situation -- they're facing right now and it's an unconscionable situation for these religious institutions to the end are right so actually again I wanna kind of telegraph down the road because we see so many fights in Washington and I'm really trying to understand.

Why this particular fight by the Catholic Church why now.

Well as as -- -- is said this is not a fight that they picked this is a fight that the Obama administration picked the Catholic church and other charitable institutions religious institutions.

Have been going about their business in this country essentially since the founding of this country.

Serving the -- serving the needy and doing so in accordance with the dictates of their conscience and for the first time out the Obama administration is essentially saying no you have to choose.

Between your conscience between carrying out what you believed to be your faithful obligations.

Or paying these crippling fines right.

You mentioned the public comment period over the health and human services rule.

-- mandating employer health care coverage of contraception you mentioned that.

How long as the public comment period that you know love and and who gets to comment is that everybody.

I believe everybody and I'm not exactly sure when it ends but you know at this isn't the first one and it's obvious that HHS is not listening because.

You know when they came out with the so called compromise if people are talking about a couple of months ago.

They ended up publishing the original rule without any regard.

For any of the common and they got thousands of comments so I think what we're seeing as HHS is not listening to -- the American people have to say.

All right last question for you and I'm looking at some of the viewers on the live chat.

Me if the political fight.

You know it's hard to say but.

One thing that we know is that the Catholic Church is the number one nongovernmental provider of education health -- and charitable services in this country.

And so if your vision of how the government should work -- that the government should be the number one provider of those services.

You know -- England had a piece in the Wall Street Journal a couple of days ago essentially pointing out that this real could be a political fight -- to crowd out.

A private religious institution for providing those services to people and frankly the American that that's just not the American way.

You know these institutions these religious institutions whether they're Catholic or not has served his serve as a buffer between the people in the government and we need them and -- -- an essential part.

-- the American way of of American life as we know it.

All right.

People can read more about this on foxnews.com.

So while they're here watching this show they can mosey on over during one of the breaks don't say gone too long -- we've got a lot stuff going on.

-- click right back over but at the top of the page you'll see an opinion tab.

Click on that and you can read more about what.

Actually McGwire has actually written about she's a senior fellow with the Catholic association we appreciate her being here this morning.

Actually as this story moves forward we may ask you back.

I and I love to do a panel.

Because what I'd like to see is if this really does break out along with.

All political lines -- right now we're following the news nugget and that is that this has got to get through public comment period.

And we're gonna have to see just how far the Catholic Church we'll take it.

Last question for you -- -- that there were 43.

Catholic entities is this like the total Catholic Church coming against us.

It's not the total Catholic Church but if you look at the number of American Catholics who are represented by these different entities I mean.

Some of the biggest diocese is in this country New York Washington DC are involved in this lawsuit they represented millions of Catholics liberal Catholics conservative Catholics.

Catholics who go to mass every day Catholics who go to mass on eastern Christmas.

And at the end of the day what what is very clear about this lawsuit is that Catholics are unified -- unified behind their bishops and they are unified in opposition to this mandate whether or not.

They use contraception or not they don't like seeing.

Their church bullied around by the government -- -- bureaucracies.

Actually McGuire thank you so much we're gonna take -- break everybody.

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