(1) Washington Post ‘Fact Check’ Claims Becerra Never Sued Nuns – The Federalist

Washington Posts fact-checking department is running interference for President Joe Bidens Health and Human Services nominee Xavier Becerra, claiming he didnt actually sue a group of nuns during his tenure as attorney general of California.

Bidens pick for HHS sued the Trump administration, not a group of nuns, the fact check headline definitively states.

The corporate media outlets response follows an exchange between Becerra and Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota on Wednesday, in which the attorney claimed he never sued the nuns, any nuns.

It does seem like, as attorney general, you spent an inordinate amount of time and effort suing pro-life organizations, like Little Sisters of the Poor, or trying to ease restrictions or expand abortion, Thune said.

I have never sued the nuns, any nuns, Becerra replied. Ive never sued any affiliation of nuns, and my actions have always been directed at the federal agencies.

Becerra, however, used his position in California to sue a religious order of nuns, the Little Sisters of the Poor, to require their participation in Obamacares contraceptive mandate. Although the case is literally named for the group of nuns targeted by the states legal team led by Becerra, State of California v. Little Sisters of the Poor, the WaPo fact-checker claims that Becerra was technically suing the Trump administration.

Its misleading to say Becerra sued the nuns. The California attorney general has not filed lawsuits or brought enforcement actions against the Little Sisters of the Poor, a charity run by Catholic nuns, the fact-checker wrote, citing the defenses of both reproductive rights lawyers and a Biden administration transition spokesman.

The two sides are in court for a different reason. California is suing the federal government, challenging a Trump administration policy that exempts some employers from providing contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The Little Sisters of the Poor voluntarily joined that case, taking the Trump administrations position that the exemptions were legally valid.

Thunes office, however, did not back down from their original comments noting that the technicality of the issue does not take away from the fact that the case was filed to challenge protections for religious organizations the Little Sisters of the Poor had been instrumental in securing, and after the Little Sisters of the Poor was named in the suit, Mr. Becerra pursued the case for an additional three years.

So, yes, Senator Thune does believe its fair to say that Mr. Becerra has sued them he has certainly been engaged in protracted litigation against them and the interests of those seeking to comply with their religious obligations, a spokesperson told the Washington Post.

The fact-checker concluded the article by claiming that legal complexities make it difficult to assign a Pinocchio rating.

Suffice it to say theres a difference between suing nuns and suing the federal government in a case that nuns decide to join, The Post determined.

Shortly after Becerras denial that he ever sued nuns, Twitter users called out the absurdity of his claim and the Posts fact check.

???

Fact-check: Becerra has sued a LOT of nuns.

This is outrageous. https://t.co/a9UYGOK2xB

— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) February 24, 2021

Jordan Davidson is a staff writer at The Federalist. She graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political science and minored in journalism.

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(1) Washington Post 'Fact Check' Claims Becerra Never Sued Nuns - The Federalist