Rep. Schneider Helps Introduce Bill to Combat Hobby Lobby Decision
Statement
In response to the Supreme Court's recent Hobby Lobby decision, U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) helped introduce legislation today that would prohibit for-profit employers from using religious beliefs to deny employees coverage of contraception or any other vital health service required by federal law.
The Protect Women's Health from Corporate Interference Act also keeps in place the existing exemption for religious employers and accommodation for religious non-profits.
"By giving employers the power to deny coverage for contraceptives, the Supreme Court rolled back women's health care rights," Schneider said. "I helped introduce legislation to prohibit for-profit employers from denying women coverage for vital health care services. A woman's health care decisions should be made between her and her doctor, not dictated by the personal beliefs of her employer."
"With this bill, Congress can begin to fix the damage done by the Supreme Court's decision to allow for-profit corporations to deny their employees birth control coverage. The Supreme Court last week opened the door to a wide range of discrimination and denial of services. This bill would help close the door for denying contraception before more corporations can walk through it," said Cecile Richards, President, Planned Parenthood Action Fund. "As the nation's leading advocate for women's reproductive health care, Planned Parenthood Action Fund is committed to making sure women can get the no-copay birth control benefit that we and others fought so hard to pass and protect. No woman should lose access to birth control because her boss doesn't approve of it."
A member of the House Pro-Choice Caucus, Rep. Schneider is a strong advocate for protecting a woman's personal right to make her own choices about her health and well-being. Rep. Schneider voiced his strong opposition to an effort to ban all abortions after 20-weeks and cosponsored the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, which was signed into law last year.
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