What’s the easiest way to avoid getting sued by the Obama Administration? Well… If you come up with an answer, let the rest of us know. A company that has supported the President and his Affordable Care Act, is currently being sued by Obama for following the law. (Wait… “Affordable” Care Act? Can we sue Democrats for false advertising yet?)
Welcome to Obama’s America. Where you can literally get sued for trying to comply with the law. (Boy… That’ll teach you.)
Honeywell International Inc., and two smaller firms, are being sued for taking advantage of a specific provision in the ACA that allows them to lower their out-of-pocket medical expenses. Deroy Murdock at the National Review explains:
These firms are complying with Obamacare, which lets them offer wellness programs to their employees. These activities help workers lose weight, quit smoking, receive regular checkups, and otherwise become healthier. As an incentive, Obamacare offers participating employees as much as a 50 percent reduction in out-of-pocket medical expenses… The comically titled “Affordable Care Act” requires that employees in these programs undergo medical tests to qualify for lower premiums. Unfortunately, such exams violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.
So, let’s make sure we understand this: Employers can offer their workers “wellness programs”; but following the regulations for such programs result in a violations of the ADA. Well, Nancy Pelosi, I’m certainly glad we’re finally figuring out what’s in this thing; because Obama’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission would be three case-loads lighter if we hadn’t passed this reform.
Of course, this shouldn’t be unexpected. I mean, we have a community organizer trying to run an exponentially expanding Federal bureaucracy. (Don’t get me wrong… He clearly did a great job with that south side of Chicago.) But this isn’t some sort of unforeseen complication of an incompetent government, it’s actually just the natural consequence of big government. Heck, Boston civil-liberties lawyer Harvey Silverglate suggests that the average American unwittingly commits up to three felonies each day… And he made that estimate before Obamacare, Dodd Frank, the EPA’s overhaul of climate regulations, the FDA’s war on soft cheeses, and Obama’s slew of royal decrees executive orders.
So, good news Honeywell… You’re not alone. You’re just unlucky enough to have found yourself in some prosecutor’s crosshairs.
Good thing the Administration is busy crafting an executive order aimed at granting “amnesty” to people who knowingly broke Federal immigration laws… Of course, that kinda brings up the bigger issue here, doesn’t it? Our laws are so numerous, regulations so contradictory, and government so powerful, that it is merely the fickle benevolence of bureaucrats, attorneys, and politicians that keep the wrath of the judicial system at bay.
I would suggest to Honeywell that they begin to shift their political support to more libertarian and conservative causes, but I’m sure an IRS audit would just be a nuisance right about now.