A Moral Obligation: Health Care Reform

I have heard all too often recently that “we have a moral responsibility” to enact health care reform this year.

This thought bounced around in my head for some time. How could it be that a secular government would find anything to be a “moral imperative” or an action “moral”. Is this right?

I went to my (online) dictionary, and found that the definition of “moral” (#3) is: founded on the fundamental principles of right conduct rather than on legalities, enactment, or custom: moral obligations.
[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/moral]

Then I pondered: How ironic that liberals who have spent my lifetime taking moral standards, moral norms, and moral judgements out of play using legalities, enactments and by contravening customs, is now claiming that something THEY want to foster on us all, has a moral obligation attached to its attainment.

How can those who have battled so long and hard against moral stands and moral customs now claim any legitimacy with morality? How can they make this argument with a straight face?

And why do we let them get away with it?