Congress Considers Conscience Rights in Health Care

WASHINGTON (RNS) Catholic and other Christian health care providers got their day in Congress Wednesday (Nov. 2) at a hearing Republicans called to denounce an Obama administration rule that requires insurers to cover contraception. The rule, part of the health care...

Bishops Warn Congress on Threats to Freedom

WASHINGTON (RNS) U.S. Catholic bishops dispatched their new point man on religious freedom to warn Congress on Wednesday (Oct. 26) that religious people risk being labeled as “bigots” without greater conscience protections. Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, Conn.,...

Clock Is Ticking for Religious Freedom Panel

WASHINGTON (RNS) The independent and bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom could be forced to shut its doors if the Senate does not vote by week’s end to reauthorize the panel. The commission appears to be in legislative limbo after the House...

What’s the Debt-Ceiling Debate Really About?

We are a nation of hypocrites, at least those of us franchised into the political economy are. We say we want democracy but what we actually want is something more like “Lord of the Flies.” Take the current debt-ceiling battle. We shouldn’t be fooled...