Democrats Unveil Legislation To Reverse Hobby Lobby Ruling
Bianca Ortega | | Jul 10, 2014 04:30 AM EDT |
(Photo : Reuters) Protester Mitchell holds sign at steps of the Supreme Court as arguments begin today to challenge the Affordable Care Act's requirement that employers provide coverage for contraception as part of an employee's health care, in Washington.
Democratic lawmakers accused the Supreme Court of using a religious freedom law to impede women's rights, and introduced a new bill that would reverse the recent ruling on contraception coverage.
The Supreme Court decided last week that companies like Hobby Lobby do not have to pay for the birth control of their employees, as opposed to an Obamacare mandate. Senators Mark Udall and Patty Murray thereafter introduced legislation that bans for-profit firms from denying employees health coverage including birth control, according to CBS News.
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Murray said the Hobby Lobby ruling gives American corporations the power to deny health care coverage legally mandated by federal law. She said women now want to correct this "wrong" decision by the Supreme Court.
The court argued that under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), closely-held companies have the right to choose not to include certain birth control methods in health insurance coverage if they find them objectionable.
On Wednesday, democrats said the 1993 law was misinterpreted by the high court. Senator Barbara Boxer explained that the RFRA was enacted to guard workers' "freedom of religion," but she said the Supreme Court gave employers power to deny healthcare to their workers.
Representative Jerry Nadler, on the other hand, argued that they were using the law to protect "religious beliefs" and not to impose those beliefs on others.
Instead of amending the RFRA, the new bill unveiled on Wednesday clarifies that for-profit corporations cannot opt out of the Obamacare-mandated contraception coverage, but houses of worship would still be exempted.
The bill already garnered 40 co-sponsors but no support from the Republicans yet, Murray said. She is hoping that Republican women in the country will come up and support the law.
They are also looking to introduce a companion bill in the House. Representative Diana DeGette said she is positive they could get GOP support for the next legislation.
TagsHobby Lobby, birth control, Obamacare, health insurance, legislation
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