The Supreme Court’s decision to have a lower court to revisit the constitutionality of Obamacare’s employer mandates sends an optimistic message to religious universities and companies that the controversial legislation could be stopped, the chancellor of Liberty University told Newsmax.
Further, countless companies could show in court that the controversial healthcare overhaul violates free exercise of religion if the new Supreme Court challenge to President Barack Obama’s mandate is upheld, Jerry Fallwell Jr. said in an exclusive interview with Newsmax TV.
“I could see not just Christian universities and churches claiming that exemption. So, yes, it could fatally wound the legislation for that reason,’’ Falwell Jr. said. “Every company would then be claiming some sort of religious exemption, or many would.’’
Story continues below the video.
On Monday, the Supreme Court ordered the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals to study the constitutionality of Obamacare’s employer requirements for healthcare as well its mandatory coverage of contraceptions.
Editor’s Note: New 'Obamacare Survival Guide' Reveals Dangers Ahead for Your Healthcare
The court’s review comes at the request of Liberty — a private Christian school of 12,500 students in Lynchburg, Virginia — which filed suit against Obamacare in 2009, with other employers with deep religious beliefs joining in.
“It’s extremely significant that the Supreme Court sent it back for a rehearing,’’ Falwell said. “It sends a signal and speaks volumes about what the justices may be thinking and so we’re encouraged and excited about it.’’
Falwell says that Obamacare’s employer mandate would force businesses that have religious doctrines, like Liberty, “to do things that go against those beliefs such as funding abortions, paying for abortion drugs … The free exercise of religion would be violated by that.’’
He believes the religious discrimination component of Obamacare was not taken into consideration when the healthcare law narrowly squeaked by the Supreme Court earlier this year.
“I’m 99 percent sure that was not part of the challenge that was struck down. So this will be a new argument, new issue and it’s very likely they could reach a different decision,’’ he said.
“We’re challenging the employer mandate. Of course, if they strike that down, that’s the end of Obamacare. But if they uphold that but then say that it violates the free exercise of religion, there are thousands maybe hundreds of thousands of companies where the owners have religious beliefs that abortion is murder and it violates their sincerely held religious beliefs.’’
Editor’s Note: New 'Obamacare Survival Guide' Reveals Dangers Ahead for Your Healthcare
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.