The Point: A New HHS Mandate

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is crafting a new rule that could force religious employers, insurers, and healthcare providers to pay for and provide, among other things, gender transitions.

The National Catholic Register broke the story. According to court filings, progressive activist groups demanded HHS expand its definition of discrimination "based on sex" to include gender identity. This would reverse the narrower Trump Administration rule, which provided religious exemptions.

It turns out these groups, which included Planned Parenthood and the Southern Poverty Law Center, were part of a "task force" advising the HHS on its new rule. According to The Catholic Benefits Association, if HHS follows these groups' recommendations, "it would effectively remove all religious considerations from issues around life, family, marriage, the very nature of men and women," forcing religious healthcare providers to choose between their convictions and their existence.

This would be disastrous, and as far as religious freedom goes, it's an all-hands-on-deck moment. If Americans' first liberty is to have a meaningful future, this cannot be allowed to happen.