Washington D.C., Jun 11, 2013 / 16:34 pm
The targeting of conservative, pro-life and religious non-profits by the Internal Revenue Service is drawing concern over the agency's authority to decide exemptions to the HHS mandate.
"The HHS mandate hinges on what constitutes a religious entity," said Ashley McGuire, a senior fellow at the Catholic Association and editor of AltCatholicah, a Catholic women's web magazine.
McGuire explained to CNA during a May 10 interview that the IRS has "authority in determining what a religious entity is" for purposes of deciding which employers much comply with the controversial mandate.
Issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, the mandate requires employers to offer health insurance covering free contraception, sterilization and some drugs that can cause early abortions.