A Tale Of Two Exemptions….

An immigrant becoming a US citizen can now exempt him/herself from the obligation to serve in the US military/defend the US contained in the oath of citizenship:

"•May be eligible for modifications based on religious training and belief, or conscientious objection arising from a deeply held moral or ethical code.
•Is not required to belong to a specific church or religion, follow a particular theology or belief, or to have had religious training in order to qualify.
•May submit, but is not required to provide, an attestation from a religious or other type of organization, as well as other evidence to establish eligibility, (http://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-clarifies-eligibility-requirements-modifications-oath-allegiance)"

To get a religious exemption from Obamacare, on the other hand:

"How to claim an exemption for members of a religious sect opposed to accepting insurance benefits

If you’re a member of an approved religious sect or division opposed to accepting private or public insurance benefits, you qualify for a health coverage exemption.

This means you don’t have to pay the fee for any month you were a member of an approved religious sect or division.

What you need to know about this exemption

To claim this exemption you must be a member of a religious sect or division that:

Is recognized by the Social Security Administration as conscientiously opposed to accepting any insurance benefits, including Social Security and Medicare

Has been in existence since December 31, 1950

You’ll need to fill out a paper exemption application and mail it in to the Marketplace.

If you get this exemption, you won’t have to reapply for an exemption unless you turn 21 or leave your religious sect.

If you have one, send a copy of an approved IRS Form 4029 (“Application for Exemption from Social Security and Medicare Taxes and Waiver of Benefits”) with required signatures.

You can use one application to claim this exemption for anyone you’ll list on your same federal income tax return who qualifies.

Do this first

Download the religious sect exemption application (PDF) and exemption application instructions (PDF).

Ways to claim this exemption

Read the application and instructions for the exemption for members of recognized religious sects.

Be sure to include on your application everybody who’s on your tax return, even if they don’t need this exemption. If necessary, make copies of Step 2 (page 4) for each person. You need to list everyone who’ll be on your tax return so the IRS can match your information.

Complete, sign, and mail the application to the address shown on the form. When you sign the application, you agree that you’re signing under penalty of perjury. This means you’ve answered all questions correctly to the best of your knowledge and understand that you could face criminal penalties if you provide information that’s untrue.

You should get a written response from the Marketplace within 2 to 4 weeks. If your exemption is granted, the notice will include an Exemption Certificate Number (ECN) for each household member.

You’ll need the ECNs to claim the exemption on your 2015 tax return. Details will be available later in 2015. Keep the written response and ECNs in a safe place so you can find them when it’s time to file your 2015 taxes.

If you already have an ECN for membership in a religious sect opposed to insurance 

If you already have an Exemption Certificate Number from 2014 for membership in a religious sect, you can use the same ECN to complete Form 8965 of your 2015 federal tax return. You’ll need to provide that ECN on your Form 8965 every year when you file your federal taxes as long as your membership status doesn’t change.

You can also claim this exemption on your Form 8965 without an ECN. If you claim it that way, you’ll also need to claim it each year.

If you received an ECN from the Marketplace before you turned 21, you’ll need to complete a new exemption application with the Marketplace to get a new ECN when you turn 21.

If your exemption application isn’t approved

You must qualify for another exemption or pay the fee for the months of 2015 you aren’t covered. Learn more about the fee.

You can appeal the decision to deny your exemption. Learn how to appeal a Marketplace decision. (https://www.healthcare.gov/exemptions-tool/#/results/2015/details/religion)"

Anyone else see the problem here? 

Religious Exemption For New Citizens….

The Department of US Citizenship and Immigration Service has announced that they are revising the required verbiage of the oath of citizenship, allowing new citizens to exempt themselves from ever serving in the United States military.

Now, in order to receive a religious exemption from Obamacare, one's beliefs must line up EXACTLY with the historic teachings of a recognized denomination/sect; INDIVIDUAL convictions count for nothing.  

Yet a person wishing to become a citizen of the US:

"* May be eligible for modifications [to the oath of citizenship] based on religious training and belief, or conscientious objection arising from a deeply held moral or ethical code. 

* IS NOT REQUIRED TO BELONG TO A SPECIFIC CHURCH OR RELIGION, FOLLOW A PARTICULAR THEOLOGY OR BELIEF, OR TO HAVE HAD RELIGIOUS TRAINING IN ORDER TO QUALIFY," (emphasis added).

So a new citizen can exempt himself/herself from ever serving in the US military, but not from Obamacare, based solely on their personal beliefs.

US Citizenship Oath Changes 

SCOTUS RULES AGAINST CONTRACEPTION MANDATE!!!

MICHIGAN PASSES ABORTION OPT-OUT!!!

By a vote of 62-46 in the House, and 27-11 in the Senate, Michigan has passed the abortion opt-out!!! It failed to achieve a 2/3 majority by just a few votes, so it goes into effect 90 days after the close of this legislative session instead of taking immediate effect.

This vote makes Michigan the 24th state to opt-out of mandatory abortion coverage, meaning that women who desire such coverage must elect to receive it and pay for it themselves, instead of forcing EVERY insurance customer to pay for a medical procedure that is reprehensible morally and Biblically.

THANK YOU, LORD!!!

MI HB 4714, Expanding Medicaid and Paving the Way for Obamacare....

I emailed the following letter the the state senator from my congressional district, Sen. Dave Hildenbrand:

Senator,

I called your office and spoke with your administrative assistant a few minutes ago.  I am urging you to vote against HB 4714, the expansion of medicaid.  We need to be working to de-fund and repeal Obamacare, not pave the way for it - which is exactly what the required medicaid expansion will  do.  We are just now beginning to see the state turn around financially; this expansion has the potential to be a HUGE setback for us as we are left holding the financial bag.

From the Republican platform:

"Repeal ObamaCare; it is an attack on our Constitution The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act--Obamacare--was never really about healthcare, though its impact upon the nation's health is disastrous. From its start, it was about power, the expansion of government control over one sixth of our economy, and resulted in an attack on our Constitution, by requiring that U.S. citizens purchase health insurance. We agree with the four dissenting justices of the Supreme Court: "In our view the entire Act before us is invalid in its entirety." It was the high-water mark of an outdated liberalism, the latest attempt to impose upon Americans a euro-style bureaucracy to manage all aspects of their lives. Obamacare has been struck down in the court of public opinion. It would tremendously expand Medicaid without significant reform, leaving the States to assume unsustainable financial burdens. If fully implemented, it could not function; and Republican victories in the November elections will guarantee that it is never implemented."Source: 2012 Republican Party Platform , Aug 27, 2012

I turns out that Republican victories did NOT guarantee that it would not be implemented; to the contrary, Republicans, including our esteemed governor, have been at the FOREFRONT of its expansion.

PLEASE vote against HB4714.

H.R. 1005: Defund Obamacare Act...

I support H.R. 1005, Defund Obamacare Act. Obamacare will actually force more people who are currently insured into the ranks of the uninsured, it will result in a net loss of over 70,000 doctors, and it is already resulting in the underemployment of our nation's workers as employers cut hours to slide under the Obamacare threshold. Not to mention INCREASING the size of the IRS (NEVER a good thing!).

If you haven't contacted your representative to encourage them to fully support this legislation, take a moment to do so now.

This is a starting point.  We need to take it to the next step and repeal this travesty in its entirety.  Tell Pelosi, "We HAVE read it, we HAVE found out what's in it, AND WE DON'T WANT IT!"

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr1005/text