April 27, 2013
Washington, D.C.

"It is outrageous that President Obama addressed the Planned Parenthood gathering this morning, at a time when Planned Parenthood has been exposed for having known about the Gosnell horrors, yet took no action to report this abuse of women and babies."

Maureen Ferguson, Senior Policy Advisor for The Catholic Association

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April 8, 2013
Washington, D.C.

“Today is the final day for the public to comment on the Notice of Proposed Rule-Making on the HHS mandate -- and according to the Sunlight Foundation, this provision has drawn ‘more comments than any other regulatory proposal on any subject government-wide.’  The proposed ‘accommodation’ does nothing to assuage the consciences of people of faith who object to the government deciding who is religious enough to be granted an exemption to this violation of religious freedom.  The current proposal still leaves these employers with an impossible choice:  follow the law or follow their conscience and be subject to draconian fines. We call for a real solution to the dilemma this administration has created with its HHS mandate, and ask that no person of faith be coerced by the government to provide products and services they find morally repugnant.”

Maureen Ferguson, Senior Policy Advisor with The Catholic Association

Washington, D.C.
April 4, 2013

“Politifact should come up with a new award for itself, the ‘Head in the Sand Award.’ The Obama Administration's HHS mandate (recently affirmed by Senate Democrats who voted for the Shaheen Amendment -- S. Amdt.438 to S.Con.Res.8), imposes crippling fines for Catholic institutions who cannot comply without violating Catholic beliefs.  These fines would effectively ‘shut down’ Catholic charities and hospitals, as Senator Ted Cruz correctly asserted in his CPAC speech.  The ‘accommodation’ is merely an accounting gimmick designed to distract from this heavy-handed violation of religious liberty .  It looks like Politifact took the bait.” 

Maureen Ferguson, Senior Policy Advisor with The Catholic Association

"Thank you, Ted Cruz, for your courage in standing up for religious believers, including religious women like myself. Senator Cruz is absolutely correct that Catholic hospitals and charities face the unconscionable position of having to pay for things like abortion drugs or shut down. Courts all across the country are agreeing with Senator Cruz that the HHS mandate is a violation of religious liberty, plain and simple. And it doesn't end with hospitals and charities. Private employers with religious beliefs face the same dilemma. The recent decision by the 10th Circuit to grant a very rare en banc hearing to Hobby Lobby's owners is evidence that the HHS mandate is being taken seriously as a threat to the religious liberty of people of faith, regardless of where they work."

Ashley McGuire, Senior Fellow with The Catholic Association