Hultgren Urges Supreme Court to Protect Rights of Compassionate Religious Organizations

Press Release

U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren (IL-14) today urged the Supreme Court to protect the First Amendment rights of religious non-profit organizations to practice their beliefs without fear of government coercion or reprisal as the highest court in the land hears oral arguments in the Zubik v. Burwell case. Earlier this year, Rep. Hultgren and more than 200 Members of the House and Senate filed a bipartisan amicus brief asking the same and reminding them of Congress' a long, bipartisan tradition of acting legislatively to protect religious liberty, and that Little Sisters and the other religious non-profit organizations should prevail under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) of 1993.

"For 175 years the Little Sisters of the Poor have served some of our most vulnerable--the elderly poor. Yet, the federal government is forcing these humble nuns to make an impossible choice: betray their oaths to God or pay more than $70 million a year in fines to the IRS. I believe that ministries like these who have lived out their religious convictions with passion should decide what violates those beliefs--not the government," said Rep. Hultgren.

"From the beginning, the argument against these compassionate organizations like Little Sisters and others like them such as local Salvation Army chapters has turned constitutionally-protected rights on their heads. As we noted in our brief, "Despite RFRA's command that the religious beliefs of all individuals and organizations be accorded the same deference, HHS has given the religious liberties of religious non-profits second-tier status.' This violation of our fundamental freedom--freedom of religion and belief--is unacceptable and outrageous. Choosing between Americans and their rights and the federal government's abuse of those rights should be a no brainer. It's time for the Supreme Court to rectify this gross overreach by the federal government."

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