All California employers will be forced to fund abortions

The U.S. Department of Human and Health Services declared on Tuesday, June 21, that they are rejecting the "right of conscience" complaint filed by anti-abortion groups protesting the mandate that employers cover abortions in health insurance.

This means all employers in California, including churches and faith-based organizations, must pay for elective abortions in their health plans.

The issue started when the Obama administration's Affordable Care Act reclassified abortion as a basic health service two years ago, which means all insurance policies should cover it. This prompted anti-abortion groups, including Alliance Defending Freedom and three churches, to file a lawsuit against it.

The complaint said that the requirement violates the Weldon Amendment, which protects conscience rights for healthcare providers and healthcare personnel who refuse to perform abortion.

However, the HHS said that after conducting an investigation on the issue, they concluded that the Weldon Amendment does not apply to health insurance firms. The HHS also said the investigation is now officially closed. 

Pro-life supporters are not happy with the HHS' decision.

"Nearly two years after California imposed its draconian mandate that requires all insurance companies to pay for abortion the Obama Administration has reached a new low — reinterpreting the Weldon amendment to allow the mandate to continue," Rep. Chris Smith told LifeNews. "This means that Californians, including churches, will continue to be forced to pay for elective abortions in their insurance plans."

Smith condemned the Obama administration's "blatant disregard" for the beliefs of those who hold pro-life views and for forcing them to fund something that kills the unborn.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Archbishop William E. Lori of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said it is "shocking" that the HHS would continue to impose the regulation on those who don't agree with abortion. They emphasized that the conscience rights of those who oppose the procedure should be respected.

"This administrative ruling fails to respect not only the rights to life and religious freedom, but also the will of Congress and the rule of law," they said in a statement. They urged the legislators to pass the Conscience Protection Act.

Casey Mattox, senior counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom, called the HHS' decision a "mockery of the law" in the "most unimaginable way." He said it shows how the Obama administration picks the legislation it wants to enforce and invents new interpretations of the law.

"We will continue to defend churches from this clear violation of the First Amendment and federal law," he said, CNS News reported.