Communications

Messaging Memo

FROM: Kirsten Kukowski, RNC Press Secretary

TO: Interested Parties

RE: Obama’s Attack on Religious Freedom

Barack Obama’s new health insurance mandate is a direct attack on the Constitution and freedom of religion. The White House will try to spin otherwise, but that doesn’t change the central issue: the president does not have the power to undermine the Bill of Rights.

Our message is principled and rooted in the Constitution. No American should be forced to violate his or her religious beliefs at the whim of the White House. No religious organization should be forced to violate tenets of its faith.

Obama clearly disagrees. For him, a government takeover of healthcare is more important than the Bill of Rights. In pursuit of his big government agenda, he is willing to bully religious organizations and trample on constitutional freedoms.

The impact on society could be significant. The religious organizations affected by this mandate include Catholic charities, hospitals, schools, shelters, and other groups that do a tremendous amount of good work for those in need. Obama is telling these groups that they cannot continue their work and stay true to their religious convictions. 

Faced with that unconscionable demand, some of these organizations may decide that they must close their doors to avoid violating their beliefs. Many Americans could suffer as a result, most regrettably those who are already suffering in a difficult economy.

If this mandate is allowed to stand, it ultimately opens the door for even greater constitutional violations. If the First Amendment is not sacred, then what other rights can be discarded at the president’s command? How much further can the federal government intrude into our lives? 

The task for those who object to Obama’s overreach—Republicans, Democrats, and independents—is to challenge the White House on the issue of religious liberty. The implications of this mandate are much greater than the substance of the mandate itself. It threatens a foundational principle of our government: the federal government must operate within the limits of the Constitution, and religious rights are inviolable. 

As we have seen over the past few days, this issue cuts across partisan lines. Four Democrat Senators, one Independent Senator, three House Democrats, and a former DNC Chairman have publicly spoken out, joining Republicans in expressing their disagreement with the White House. Liberal religious leaders—including those who supported Obamacare—have called on the administration to respect their faith. And both left-leaning and right-leaning commentators and editorial boards have condemned the White House in print.

The bipartisan outcry reflects the importance of this issue. The Obama administration must reverse its decision because in America, government yields to the Constitution; the Constitution does not yield to government.

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