News came out yesterday that the Obama administration decided to wait until 2015 to enforce the employer mandate of the “2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” Of course it is “just a coincidence” that this would be after the mid-term elections.
The enforcement being delayed at least adds some breathing room for some aspects of ObamaCare. Unfortunately there appears not to be any delay regarding the HHS Mandate and the direct attack on religious freedom.
The HHS mandate that compels religious groups to pay for birth control and drugs that may cause abortions is moving ahead, as revised on Friday. Not only is it moving forward, but the revisions the Obama administration handed out do nothing to quell the pro-life concerns. (source)
If this is an accurate assessment, then the HHS Mandate starts to be enforced on August 1st.
Although this article from Steven Ertelt at LifeNews.com provides no collaborating information for this assertion. The article also makes the mistake of saying it was the individual mandate that was delayed, when it was the employer mandate. Individuals are still required to buy insurance or pay a government fine (January 1, 2014). Still I do think it looks like the HHS Mandate so far is not part of the delay. Forcing Catholics and others to pay for contraception and sterilization has been an important priority for this administration.
One a related note it is rather bizarre to see this delay by the Obama administration being announced in a blog post on the U.S. Treasury site. The tile of the post I think deserves an award for most self-serving post title of the year “Continuing to Implement the ACA in a Careful, Thoughtful Manner.” Yes when you are told something is going to be done in a “careful, thoughtful manner” get prepared for the tire tracks on your back.
