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HobbyLobbyWinsContraceptiveRulinginSupremeCourt

HobbyLobbyWinsContraceptiveRulinginSupreme
Court
CourtRulingIsaBlowtoObamacareProvision
ARIANEDEVOGUE

Inadeeplydivisivecasepittingadvocatesofreligiouslibertyagainstwomen???sright???sgroups,the
SupremeCourtsaidtodaythattwoforprofitcorporationswithsincerelyheldreligiousbeliefsdonot
havetoprovideafullrangeofcontraceptivesatnocosttotheiremployeespursuanttotheAffordable
CareAct.
Ina54opinionwrittenbyJusticeSamuelAlitothecourtheldthatasappliedtocloselyheld
corporationstheHealthandHumanServicesregulationsimposingthecontraceptivemandateviolatethe
ReligiousFreedomRestorationAct.AlitowasjoinedbyChiefJusticeJohnRoberts,JusticeAntonin
ScaliaandJusticeClarenceThomas.JusticeAnthonyKennedyfiledaconcurringopinion.
ThedecisionisavictoryfortheGreenfamilythatownsHobbyLobby,anartsandcraftschain,andthe
HahnswhoownConestoga,acabinetmakingcompany,whohadchallengedthesocalledcontraceptive
mandatesayingitforcedthemtoeitherviolatetheirfaithorpayruinousfines.Theyobjectspecificallyto
fourofthedrugsanddevicesatissuebecausetheysaytheyhavethepotentialtodestroyanembryo.The
governmentdefendedtheprovisionasanessentialpartofhealthcarecoverageforwomen.
SupremesConsiderContraceptionChallenge
3QuestionsFacingtheSupremeCourtinContraceptionCase
PlannedParenthoodGoesAfterSen.McConnellWithNewTVAd
Here'swhatyouneedtoknowaboutthedecision:
Whatdidthecourtrule?
Thecourtrejectedthegovernment???sclaimthatneithertheownersnorthecorporationscouldbringa
religiouslibertyclaim.???ProtectingthefreeexerciserightsofcorporationslikeHobbyLobby,
Conestoga???protectsthereligiouslibertyofthehumanswhoownandcontrolthosecompanies,???
Alitowrote.
Alitosaidthecourthas???littletrouble???concludingthattheHHScontraceptivemandatesubstantially
burdenstheexerciseofregion:"TheHahnsandtheGreensbelievethatprovidingthecoveragedemanded
bytheHHSregulationisconnectedtothedestructionofanembryoinawaythatissufficienttomakeit
immoralforthemtoprovidethecoverage.???
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WhatelsedidAlitoholdinhismajorityopinion?
AlthoughtheGovernmentarguedthemandatewasessentialtoprovidingafullrangeofbenefitsfor
women???shealth,Alitosaid,???theGovernmenthasfailedtoshowthatthecontraceptivemandateis
theleastrestrictivemeansoffurtheringthatinterest,"accordingtothemajorityopinion.
AlitowrotethattheownersofHobbyLobbybelievethatthecoveragerequiredofthehealthcarelaw"is
connectedtothedestructionofanembryoinawaythatissufficienttomakeitimmoralforthemto
providethecoverage???HHS[DepartmentofHealthandHumanServices]hasnotshownthatitlacks
othermeansofachievingitsdesiredgoalwithoutimposingasubstantialburdenontheexerciseof
religionbytheobjectingpartiesinthesecases.???
Alitosaidtheopinionwaslimitedtocloselyheldcorporations:???Ourdecisionshouldnotbeunderstood
toholdthataninsurancecoveragemandatemustnecessarilyfallifitconflictswithanemployer???s
religiousbeliefs.Othercoveragerequirements,suchasimmunizations,maybesupportedbydifferent
interests(forexample,theneedtocombatthespreadofinfectiousdiseases)andmayinvolvedifferent
argumentsabouttheleastrestrictivemeansofprovidingthem.???
WhatdidGinsburg'sdissentsay?
JusticeRuthBaderGinsburgwroteadissent,joinedonthemeritsbyJusticeElenaKagan,Sonia
Sotomayor,andStephenBreyer.
InherdissentGinsburg???disagreedwithAlitoandworriedaboutwhatotherchallengesmightcome
next.:???ReadingtheActexpansively,asthecourtdoes,raisesahostof???Me,too???questions.Can
anemployerinbusinessforprofitoptoutofcoverageforbloodtransfusions,vaccinations,
antidepressants,ormedicationsderivedfrompigs,basedontheemployer???ssincerelyheldreligious
beliefsopposingthosemedicalpractices.???
Ginsburgwrote,???TheexemptionsoughtbyHobbyLobbyandConestogawouldoverridesignificant
interestsofthecorporations???employeesandcovereddependents.Itwoulddenylegionsofwomenwho
donotholdtheiremployers???beliefsaccesstocontraceptivecoveragethattheACAwouldotherwise
secure???
Shetooktheunusualstepofreadingherdissentfromthebench.
WhatistheWhiteHousesaying?
WhiteHousePressSecretaryJoshEarnest:"PresidentObamabelievesthatpeopleshouldmakepersonal
healthcaredecisionsforthemselvesratherthantheirbossesdecidingforthem.Today???sdecision
jeopardizesthehealthofwomenwhoareemployedbythesecompanies.AsMillionsofwomenknow
firsthand,contraceptionisoftenvitaltotheirhealthandwellbeing.ThatiswhytheAffordableCareAct
ensuresthatwomenhaveaccesstocontraceptivecare,alongwithotherpreventativecare,likevaccines
andcancerscreenings.WewillworkwithCongresstomakesurethatanywomeneffectedbythis
decisionwillstillhavethesamecoverageandvitalhealthservicesaseveryoneelse."
Whatareliberalsandalliedgroupssaying?
DNCChairDebbieWassermanSchultz:"IamdisappointedanddeeplyconcernedbytheSupreme
Court???sdecisiontodayinthecaseofBurwellv.HobbyLobby.ThankstotheAffordableCareAct,
millionsofAmericanshavegainedaccesstopreventiveserviceswithoutoutofpocketcosts,including
birthcontrol.However,thisdecisiontakesmoneyoutofthepocketsofwomenandtheirfamiliesand
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allowsforprofitemployerstodenyaccesstocertainhealthcarebenefitsbasedontheirpersonalbeliefs.
Nearlysixtypercentofwomenwhousebirthcontroldosoformorethanjustfamilyplanning."
Whatareconservativesandalliedgroupssaying?
???Thisisagreatvictoryforreligiousliberty???thebedrockofourfounding,???saidSusanB.Anthony
ListPresidentMarjorieDannenfelser.???Inlivingoutourreligiousconvictions,therearecertainthings
wemustnotdo.Thisiswhyweareatawatershedmoment.Religiouspeoplewillnolongerbeordered
totakeactionthatourreligionsayswemustnottake.
CarrieSeverino,chiefcounseltotheJudicialCrisisNetwork,onHobbyLobby:???TheSupremeCourt
todayupheldthelibertyattheheartoftheConstitution:therighttoreligiousfreedom.TheCourtrightly
concludedthattheReligiousFreedomRestorationActprotectsreligiousbusinessownersjustasmuchas
itprotectstheiremployees.RFRAguaranteesnotjustarightofreligiousworshiporspeech,butreligious
exercise.TodaytheSupremeCourtreaffirmedreligiousfreedomsthatliterallycenturiesofAmericans
haveenjoyedfromevenbeforethefoundingofthiscountry.
FamilyResearchCouncilPresidentTonyPerkinslearnedoftherulingthismorningashemetwiththe
Hahnfamily,foundersandownersofConestogaWoodSpecialties:"TheSupremeCourthasdelivered
oneofthemostsignificantvictoriesforreligiousfreedominourgeneration.Wearethankfulthe
SupremeCourtagreedthatthegovernmentwenttoofarbymandatingthatfamilybusinessesowners
mustviolatetheirconsciencesunderthreatofcripplingfines.
WhatareprominentGOPmembersofCongresssaying?
Sen.TedCruz,RTex.:???Today'svictoryintheHobbyLobbycaseisterrificnewsbutnowisnotime
torest.Wecannotrelyonthecourtsalonetodefendourreligiousliberty???
Sen.OrrinHatch,RUtah:???IapplaudtheSupremeCourt???sdecisiontoprotectthereligiousfreedom
ofallAmericans,bothindividuallyandcollectively.Thenotionthatreligiousfreedombelongsonlyto
some,andeventhenonlyinprivate,defiesournation'straditions,ourlaws,andourConstitution.Andas
theSupremeCourtrightfullysaidtoday,theReligiousFreedomRestorationActcouldnothavebeen
clearerinsayingreligiouslibertyofallAmericansmustbeequallyprotectedandnotunnecessarily
burdened
Rep.MicheleBachmann,RMinn:???Iamextremelyencouragedbytoday???sSupremeCourtdecision
toupholdthereligiouslibertyrightsoftheGreenfamilyofHobbyLobby.
Remindme,whathappenedduringoralarguments?
PaulD.Clement,alawyerforthecompaniestoldtheJusticesinMarchthatforprofitcorporations???
withsincerelyheldreligiousbeliefs???shouldnothavetoprovidecoverageforfourFDAapproved
contraceptives.TheGreenFamily,whoareevangelicalChristiansandtheHahns,whoareMennonites,
objecttofourofthedrugsanddevicesbecausetheysaytheyhavethepotentialtodestroyanembryo.
Clementarguedthelawsubstantiallyburdenshisclientsandthatthegovernment???whichhasexempted
othersfromthelaw???hadnocompellingjustificationtoforceHobbyLobbyandothercloselyheld
businessestoprovidethecoverage.
SolicitorGeneralDonaldB.VerrilliJr.toldthejusticesatoralargumentsthatthechallengerstothelaw
wereaskingforaradicaldeparturefromprecedent.Inbriefshesaid,???TheSupremeCourthasnever
grantedareligiousaccommodationtoasecularbusinessthatcomesattheexpenseofitsemployees.???
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Hearguedthatthecorporations???claimedburdenis???tooattenuated???becauseitistheplan
participantswhodecidewhichservicestouseinconsultationwiththeirdoctors.???Verrilliarguedthat
themandateisapartofacomprehensiveinsuranceschemeandservesthegovernment???sinterestin
publichealthandgenderequality.
ABC???sJakeLeffermancontributedtothisreport.
Copyright2015ABCNewsInternetVentures

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