In a recent speech in front of the Catholic Health Association, President Obama expressed his love for nuns as he sought their support for the ACA.
With his landmark healthcare plan, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), under fire in the court system, President Obama once again sought the support of religious leaders, specifically Catholic nuns. In a recent speech, he recognized Sister Carol Keehan, the chief executive of the Catholic Health Association, as critical in helping the president pass the ACA in the first place when Catholic bishops rallied against the law’s provision of providing free birth control.
President Obama spoke in front of the Catholic Health Association and Keehan, whom he conceded he couldn’t have passed the ACA without. He went on to say, “And it’s true, I just love nuns, generally.”
The speech came as King v. Burwell is argued in front of the Supreme Court. If the federal government were to lose this case, over 6 million Americans could lose their government-provided health care subsidies. The case debates whether or not health care subsidies can be distributed by states that use federal exchange provided by Healthcare.gov over their own health care marketplaces.
But in speaking to the Catholic Health Association, President Obama took a different tact. He argued that maintaining the ACA is now a moral issue. He called the ACA “the fabric of how we care for one another.”
Religious groups have opposed the ACA since its inception. In addition to the Catholic Church’s objection to the requirement that all employers provide contraception to employees who want it, Orthodox Jews also spoke out against the ACA. The contraception issue did not create any issues within the Jewish faith, but the general disregard for religious freedom did.
While the Supreme Court considers the legality of the ACA and its provisions, President Obama will round up nuns and his other supporters within the religious realm to appeal to American’s moral obligation to take care of their neighbors.