House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) issued the following statement after today's Supreme Court oral arguments on Little Sisters of the Poor v. Burwell:
"As the Supreme Court takes up this historic religious freedom case, I stand firmly with Little Sisters of the Poor as they seek to have their First Amendment rights restored from one of the many offensive aspects of Obamacare. It is absolutely outrageous that unelected bureaucrats in Washington are forcing religious groups to violate the basic tenets of their faith. Religious liberty is fundamental to who we are as a nation, and our rights--including the First Amendment right to practice one's faith--come from God, not from government.
"It speaks volumes about the Obama Administration's misguided priorities that they believe Obamacare's mandates should be allowed to trample over the First Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans, including the nuns of Little Sisters of the Poor.
"I strongly urge the Supreme Court to respect and restore the right of nuns, priests, Christian schools, and any other religious groups to operate peacefully according to their beliefs and faith, without fear of intimidation or punishment from the federal government. The Supreme Court needs to uphold the First Amendment rights granted in the Constitution by ruling in favor of the Little Sisters of the Poor."