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Liberty University Sues Government Over Health Care Reform
Liberty University is taking the unusual step of suing the federal government in response to the health care legislation signed by President Obama last week. Liberty is the world’s largest Christian university, with over 50,000 students.
Liberty Counsel, a legal organization that represents Liberty University, argues that Congress “lacks authority to force individuals and private employers to buy or provide health insurance,” and that the law illegally forces the University to “subsidize abortion.”
Student Alexandra Moss is upset that Liberty Counsel is suing on behalf of the university.
"I, along with many others, are appalled at the lawsuit filed against the Health Care reform. The Liberty Counsel filed under Liberty University's name,” wrote Moss. “By doing so, they are leading people to believe that ALL Liberty students share the same opinion as they do. This is certainly not the case. This lawsuit was filed without asking students how they felt about it."
In response to Moss’s email, Jerry Falwell Jr., the chancellor of Liberty, said the University sampled students in a survey and found that 98 percent of the sample supported the suit. He added that the suit reflects the will of the University’s trustees—not the students.
Falwell said the University was compelled to sue because it has the moral obligation to oppose tax-funded abortions, and it was against the student aid reform included in the bill, which the University argues expands the government’s role in providing student loans.
Falwell and University trustees are opposed to the government taking profits in the form of student interest payments, which would help pay for the health care legislation.
However, Liberty Counsel was not able to include student aid in the lawsuit because there are no constitutional objections to that portion of the bill.
"In our opinion, it's the generation that's in college now that's going to bear the burden of the cost of paying for this legislation," he said. "We're in the process of inviting every university in the country to join in this lawsuit."
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