McHenry County Blog

Here’s the flyer advertising the noon rally in Woodstock Friday against Obamacare’s mandates that violate the First Amendment’s promise of Freedom of Religion:

Stop the HHS Mandate!

Stand Up for Religious Freedom!

Join the Nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom

June 8, Noon to 1 PM – Outside the Government Center in Woodstock, IL

On June 8, tens of thousands of faithful citizens will gather in prayer and public witness in cities and towns all across the United States to oppose the HHS Mandate and stand up in defense of our religious freedoms.

Join the Rally in Woodstock and say NO to the new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Mandate, which forces employers—including religious charities—to provide free contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs in their health plans.

Event: Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally

When: Friday, June 8, from Noon to 1 PM

Where: Woodstock Government Center, Route 47 (Seminary Ave.) and Ware Road

Contact: Bart.Diane@comcast.net or 815-308-5123

More Info: StandUpRally.com

Stand with our Churches

Stand with our Founding Fathers

Stand Up for Religious Freedom, Friday, June 8, at noon

How serious are Catholics about this election?

Take a look:

A press release from Congressman Joe Walsh:

Congressman Walsh Stands with Catholic Dioceses and Charities in Suit for Religious Liberties

SCHAUMBURG – Today Congressman Joe Walsh issued a statement in support of the 43 Catholic dioceses, charities, and organizations that filed twelve different suits across the country against the Obama administration’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate.

The HHS mandate forces Catholic organizations to provide contraception, a violation of Catholic beliefs.

“I’m proud to support these great religious institutions that are standing up for their right to practice their faith freely,” Walsh said.

“This attempt by the Obama administration to force religious organizations to provide something that violates their faith is appalling and works against our nation’s most core principles.

“I will continue the fight to reverse this mandate that tells religious organizations their beliefs have no place in society.

“The First Amendment, the cornerstone of our society, states that government shall not prohibit the free exercise of religion.

“This mandate sets a dangerous precedent, where government can dictate which religious beliefs are lawful and which are not.”

The popularity of the argument that Congress and Congressmen should be subject to the same rules and ordinary folk is well-placed.

Yesterday in his Chicago Sun-Times column Jesse Jackson used it in the Obamacare debate.

Congressmen take government health insurance. Why shouldn’t everyone have it?

That what my quick reading of his message seemed to say.

He compliments some freshmen Congressmen who have refused to take health insurance.

But he doesn’t name any.

No credit where credit is due.

I imagine Congressman Joe Walsh doesn’t care.

That the fight between the Catholic Church and the Obama Administration is not over is evidenced by the reading of Chicago Cardinal George’s letter to parishes in his diocese.

That’s after the “compromise” offered by President Obama.

Is it possible that Catholic leaders have figured out the lessen taught me by insurance lobbyists in Springfield?

Any mandate will be paid for by those buying insurance.

There is no free lunch, as the President’s “compromise” suggests.

Sure, the insurance companies will provide the pills and devices to prevent pregnancies, plus the pill to disposed of unwanted conceptions for free.

The companies will save money because that preventative “health care” will be less expensive that delivering babies.

Let’s try a bit of logic on that line of reasoning.

If it were true, why would not all healthy insurance companies be doing so already?

Just asking.

Now, if you wish, take a look at the less than 2-minute YouTube of Joe Walsh’s view on the issue:

A press release from Congressman Joe Walsh:

Rep. Walsh to Obama: Too Late

“Obamacare at its core is un-American”

WASHINGTON- Congressman Joe Walsh (IL-8) released the following statement after the Obama Administration announced they would compromise on the contraceptive mandate that forces employers- including religious institutions- to pay for contraceptive services.

The compromise will require insurance companies, instead of religiously-affiliated employers, to provide and cover plans with contraceptive services.

“Today’s announcement is just another political move by the President.

“At the end of the day, religious institutions still have to provide healthcare plans with free contraceptive services.

“It will still force religious institutions to violate their core beliefs.

“But it is also more than a just religious issue, it is a moral and First Amendment issue.

“None of this is surprising.

“Obamacare is about government power over individual freedom.

“When we give control of our healthcare decisions to the federal government, we give up other freedoms along with it.

“This contraceptive mandate continues our scary look inside the belly of the beast.

“If big government can force Americans to violate their consciences here, what else will it try to do?

“Every single week since Obamacare was passed we’ve learned bad things about the law –

• increased premiums,
• regulations and taxes on small business,
• doctors leaving their profession.

“Once again with this latest HHS rule, we’re reminded that the true intent of Obamacare is to increase the power of government over our lives — even our first amendment freedoms.

“The reaction of the American people this week gives me great hope that we won’t stand for more attacks on our Constitution. Obamacare at its core is un-American.

“This affront to our religious freedom is just the latest piece of evidence.”

= = = = =
Also of possible interest: Catholics Carpet Bombing Obama.

A press release from Congressman Joe Walsh:

Rep. Walsh Takes Stand Against Contraceptive Mandate

WASHINGTON- Congressman Joe Walsh (IL-8) released the following statement after the Obama Administration announcement yesterday that it would follow through with the proposed rule forcing U.S. employers—including those with religious affiliation—to provide free contraceptives to their employees.

Walsh stated:

Joe Walsh

“This is a slap in the face of every U.S. employer and religious institution. The President seems to have forgotten that this country was founded on religious freedom. This decision goes against that and everything this country stands for.

“President Obama once again has bypassed Congress, continuing to move forward with this mandate even after the House passed the Protect Life Act to exempt religious institutions from providing free contraceptives.

“This mandate goes far beyond the constitutional limits on presidential power and forces religious institutions, specifically the Catholic Church, to go against their beliefs.

“This is just one more troubling aspect about Obamacare, it seems like every day we wake up we learn about another provision that was hidden in the legislation.

“I voted in favor of the Protect Life Act to stop the President from doing just this. Forcing religious organizations to provide birth control to their employees is un-American and unacceptable.”

A press release from Congressman Randy Hultgren:

 Hultgren Applauds Supreme Court Decision to Hear Case on Obamacare

Raises Concerns Regarding Justice Kagan’s Impartiality

Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14) today applauded the Supreme Court’s decision to review and rule on a number of constitutional challenges to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.

Specifically, the Supreme Court will focus on whether Congress has the power to force individuals to purchase health insurance, as well as whether Congress overstepped its authority by coercing states to comply with the law by threatening to withhold Medicare funding.

“I applaud that the Supreme Court has chosen to grant a writ of certiorari and hear these cases on the constitutionality of provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” said Hultgren. “From day one we’ve seen this health care law unravel – from the waivers granted to corporations, businesses, and unions, to the repeal of the onerous ’1099 Provision’ and the failure of the CLASS Act.

“In regards to the individual mandate, it is the most unprecedented and offensive overreach of federal authority in recent history, literally forcing Americans to purchase a product under the auspices of reducing costs and improving accessibility to health care.

“Simply put, the law failed to do what it claimed to accomplish: reduce the cost of health care. Since its passage, we have seen health care costs skyrocket; moreover, the uncertainty stemming from the law has crippled our small business community.”

“Only 18 months after its passage, the new health care law has been brought to the steps of the Supreme Court by America’s small business owners. For the small business community, this comes not a day too soon,” said Dan Danner, President & CEO of the National Federation of Independent Business.

“The health care law has not lived up to its promises of reducing costs, allowing citizens to keep their coverage or improving a cumbersome system that has long been a burden to small business owners and employees, alike. The small business community can now have hope; their voices are going to be heard in the nation’s highest court.”

Additionally, Congressman Hultgren has voiced concerns regarding Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan’s capacity to render an impartial decision on this and all other cases related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

In June, Congressman Hultgren joined other House Republicans in asking the House Judiciary Committee to investigate the extent to which Justice Kagan was involved in preparing a legal defense of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act during her tenure as Solicitor General.

In the letter, it is noted that according to law, a justice should recuse themselves in cases “where he has served in governmental employment and in such capacity participated as counsel, adviser or material witness concerning the proceedings or expressed an opinion concerning the merits of the particular case in controversy.”

Click here to read the full letter.

A press release from Congressman Joe Walsh:

Congressman Walsh Issues Statement on Passage of H.R. 4

“You cannot create jobs by taxing and penalizing small businesses into oblivion.”

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Joe Walsh (IL-08) voted for H.R.4, the Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act of 2011.

The bill, which he co-sponsored, repeals the expanded 1099 reporting provision that was enacted as part of Obamacare.

This requirement forces businesses to drastically increase the number of 1099 forms they file with the IRS.

It disproportionately burdens small businesses and entrepreneurs and has caused them to postpone hiring and reduce their workforce and business investments.

The IRS has even expressed doubt about its ability to process the increased number of these forms.

“The American people voted for change because of things like this,” said Walsh.

“The last Congress passed bloated bills it hadn’t read, like Obamacare, only to discover afterwards it contained job-killing provisions like this 1099 reporting requirement.

“The American people are fed up with paying for Congress’ and the Administration’s mistakes. ”

“The whole idea behind the expanded 1099 reporting provision proves, without a doubt, that this Administration has no idea how a business actually works and is hopelessly out of touch with the American people.

“You cannot create jobs by taxing and penalizing small businesses into oblivion.”

“This is not the only job-killing measure that the previous Congress and the Obama Administration have tried to hide from the American people.

“We are going to get rid of those too.

“Then we are going to stop these silly accounting gimmicks and cut spending for real and for good.

“We are going to get government out of the way and let small businesses do their jobs and create jobs.”

Got a robo-call last night about Wednesday’s night’s Town Hall Meeting at McHenry County College sponsored by Patriots United. The details of the 7:30 to 9 PM meeting are below:

Obamacare is a financial disaster and ticking time bomb for states like Illinois.

The reason is simple.

Illinois didn’t get a Cornhusker Kickback, like Nebraska, written into Obamacare.

Called the Affordable Health Care Act, the name of the legislation is an oxymoron because it’s unaffordable.

An enormous part of the cost of Obamacare was thrown onto the states.

Anyone thinking a gigantic new entitlement is going to be free that covers an additional 30 million people likely thinks Democrats obey the Illinois State Constitution when it requires balanced budgets.

Or that Blago is innocent and wrongly convicted.

The explosion of higher Illinois costs occurs in 2014 when millions more people get free medical coverage. It happens when the eligibility for Medicaid increases by raising the income level for “free” by 33%.

It’s expected to increase Medicaid enrollment by as much as 25%.

In 2008, Illinois spent $13.9 billion on Medicaid of which the Feds paid for $6.6 billion. That means state governments paid $7.3 billion. An increase of 25 percent is about $2 billion, if you express it in 2011 costs.

About a third of the Democrats’ 67% income tax increase will be consumed by the future costs of Obamacare.

Aren’t you glad Melissa Bean voted for Obamacare and all of the newspapers endorsed her?

Fortunately voters were smarter than newspaper editors and elected Joe Walsh.

What Governor Quinn isn’t saying is how much money is being spent on setting up an Illinois Obamacare bureaucracy and if Illinois has stopped spending doing this, now that two Federal judges have ruled the entire law is unconstitutional. (No, Quinn is hoping that the two Federal judges that gave it an OK prevail.)

Adding $2 billion of Obamacare costs onto an Illinois that’s broke is what happens when a Chicago Democrat becomes President.

I guess in 2012 our teleprompter-in-chief can run for re-election in the suburbs on spending a third of our income tax increase on $2 billion of higher Medicaid costs for Illinois.

There may be some Democrats and members of the Madigan family privately praying that Obamacare is thrown out by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Coincidentally Dick Durbin will be up for re-election in 2014, the year the higher Medicaid costs for Obamacare kicks in.

More free benefits without Illinois having the money to pay for them.

This is Durbin’s path to re-election.

Let the Madigan family figure out how to raise more taxes to pay for it.

Obamacare is an unfunded federal mandate to Illinois. It explains why Dick Durbin was such a cheerleader.