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Ave Maria University President Jim Towey on the college’s lawsuit over the Administration’s birth-control mandate and its impact on religious libe...
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Our next guest says the Obama administration is trampling on religious liberty -- -- contraception mandate.
As president of the -- Maria university in Florida.
The analysis reap the Catholic school -- been forced to stop offering.
Group health insurance plans to its students the school filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality.
Of the mandate.
Back in February and this week 43.
Catholic institutions.
Followed filing twelve separate federal lawsuits joining us now.
Is -- -- before becoming president Robert Maria director of the white house office of faith based and community initiatives under president George W.
Bush.
Great to have you question thank you great to be with you Lou thank you this is.
I mean this is a torrent.
Of legal action.
It is clear that the news -- coordinate coordinated response to this administration's.
Assault that view is and other Catholic leaders.
Believe is.
Is frankly an assault on on the First Amendment is that correct.
That is correct I mean when you see institutions as large as the university of notre dame of the arch diocese of New York.
Or -- -- -- Emory University.
I'm going to federal court because we find no recourse in working through the administration.
You realize there's a big problem.
When we first learned that there was going to be an attempt to accommodate.
Our religious liberty rights we thought well we'll see what comes out we were thoroughly disappointed we -- in February now you're seeing the other big.
Players joining him going to court because this has to be resolved.
It has to be resolved here that you said that this is not about a woman's right to contraception.
As you know is precisely what the administration maintains.
How do you expect this -- lawsuit to be.
To be adjudicated.
-- I think we're very confident that will prevail I think attorneys have filed those -- yesterday feel the same way because it looks almost amateurish.
How the administration rolled out their plan.
-- they've put forward.
Proposals without any review and comment period they rushed it through.
When they say it's about so called war on women I think that's to disguise the real issue which is.
Forcing faith based organizations like of Emory University to comply with passing out sterilization services and other things are health plan.
We're not going to do that the government could do whatever it wants to do to expand access to contraceptive services why are they forcing.
Catholic groups and other religiously affiliated groups to do that work for them.
That you're you're you maintain that that is up to a students a matter free -- on the part of that student that your university.
-- -- It's it's startling to see why what.
Reason the administration had to take on the Catholic Church evangelicals.
Christians there across our country.
In huge numbers obviously a seventy million Catholics -- -- it makes no sense of all can you do buying what is going on here.
Well I've read commentary that says perhaps are trying to drive a wedge within the Catholic Church to try to shore up some support in the middle where.
It's of research shows that many.
Catholics are using contraception.
And so they figured.
That this might help them and in swing states would they didn't calculators.
Even Catholics and others who use contraception are supported.
They don't like to see the federal government coming in with a heavy hand.
And trying to knuckle under religious groups and their right to exercise -- first amendment rights.
I think that's where they miscalculated I think it's backfiring -- when you see.
Lawsuits like this yesterday you realized.
They've they are there in a situation they didn't calculate.
Jim Terry thank you very much that of ave Maria university thank you thank.
