Black, Bachmann, Ellmers, Foxx, Jenkins, Lummis, McMorris Rodgers, Miller, Roby, Wagner Respond to Supreme Court Ruling in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby

Press Release

Today, Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06), author of H.R. 940, the Health Care Conscience Rights Act, and Reps. Michele Bachmann (R-MN-06), Virginia Foxx (R-NC-05), Lynn Jenkins (R-KS-02), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-05), Martha Roby (R-L-02), and Ann Wagner (R-MO-02) issued the following statements in response to the ruling by the Supreme Court in the case of Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby:

"Today the Supreme Court sided with our Constitutional rights and stood up to the Obama Administration's assault on religious liberty," said Congressman Diane Black. "Being an American has always meant being able to freely choose our faith and live by the dictates of that faith at home, at church and in the public square. But under the HHS mandate, this fundamental right has come under attack. The bottom line is that increasing access to healthcare should never require forcing people to choose between coverage and their conscience, and I will continue to work on behalf of Americans across the country to ensure that their 1st Amendment rights are not being infringed on by this unconstitutional HHS mandate."

"I am extremely encouraged by today's Supreme Court decision to uphold the religious liberty rights of the Green family of Hobby Lobby," said Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. "At its core, today's decision was about the right of individual and family business owners to be free from government mandates that force them to deny their sincerely-held religious beliefs. America was founded on the principle of religious freedom, and there is nothing more fundamental than the First Amendment. This decision represents a tremendous victory for the basic constitutional rights of every American."

"This morning, the Supreme Court delivered a substantial victory for religious freedom," said Congresswoman Renee Ellmers. "Ever since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, it has had a devastating impact on our society - from job creators and local economies, to patient-centered care and individual liberties. Today's decision tackles one of the many serious dangers of this law, and I am thrilled to see that the fundamental religious rights of all Americans are being protected at the highest level. The American people were forced to swallow this poison pill and it is our duty to stand up and fight for what is right so that future generations can enjoy their rights without threat of persecution. At the same time, we must continue to fight the other dangerous provisions in this law and its disastrous implementation before it causes further harm to our economy and American families."

"Genuine religious conviction does not begin and end at the church, temple or parish door," said Congresswoman Virginia Foxx. "Today, the Supreme Court stood up for religious liberty and stopped President Obama's assault on employers who believe they can follow their conscience while conducting business in this country."

"The First Amendment protects religious freedom for everyone and no American should be compelled to violate their convictions, let alone be punished for refusing to do so," said Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins. "I am pleased the Court decided in favor of family-owned businesses, like Hobby Lobby, and chose to defend individuals' basic civil rights."

"The Supreme Court ruling affirms what we knew all along: the Obamacare contraceptive mandate to supply abortifacients and contraceptives to employees violates the constitutional right to freedom of religion," said Rep. Cynthia Lummis. "I am pleased that the majority of Justices realized this and ruled in favor of that freedom. In the U.S. House I have already joined Rep. Diane Black to co-sponsor the Health Care Conscience Rights Act, H.R. 940, to ensure that the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of religion is protected for everyone. This is just one more way Obamacare violates our rights and freedoms and one more reason to repeal it and replace it."

"This morning the Supreme Court defended religious freedom because no American family should be forced to choose between their faith or unlawful, unnecessary government mandates," said Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers. "While we celebrate this victory today, our work is not finished. We must keep fighting to ensure our Constitutional rights are protected and every human life is valued."

"The Religious Freedom Restoration Act states that the government, "shall not substantially burden a person's exercise of religion,' and is clearly intended to protect Americans from being forced by the federal government to compromise their religious beliefs," said Congresswoman Candice Miller. "Today, with its ruling in the Hobby Lobby case, the Supreme Court upheld that protection by ruling that closely held companies, owned by individuals or families, do not give up the Freedom of Religion guaranteed by the First Amendment of our Constitution simply by going into business and providing jobs. It is also notable that today's decision does not limit the rights of any American to utilize the form of birth control they prefer. Today's decision is a victory for individual freedom and liberty and I applaud the court for standing up for our Constitution and the rule of law."

"I hope this ruling helps correct the Administration's bad habit of using agency-level rule-making to interpret laws in such a way that fits their own pet policies," Rep. Roby said. "This time they ran square into the First Amendment's very clear protection of Americans' free exercise of religion. However, there are many more instances in which the Obama Administration has attempted to accomplish through executive fiat what it could not enact legislatively. I hope we will see more willingness from the Judicial Branch to affirm the separation of powers that is so fundamental to our government."

"Today is a major victory for religious freedom! Our government should not force anyone to choose between violating their religious beliefs or being forced to comply with ObamaCare," said Rep. Wagner." This decision sends a direct message to the president and his administration that they cannot continue to trample on American liberties and expect to get away with it. I applaud today's decision, and I will always fight to protect religious freedom and our constitutional rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."