U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Trump Administration’s Exemptions to Contraceptive Mandate

First Liberty Institute amicus brief urged Court to preserve religious exemption from Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate


WASHINGTON, July 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Supreme Court of the United States today held 7–2 in Little Sisters of the Poor. v. Pennsylvania, et al., that the Trump Administration has the authority to exempt organizations with religious and moral objections to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Contraceptive Mandate. Today’s decision means that millions of Americans who object to the ACA’s Contraceptive Mandate for reasons of conscience can opt out.         

“In a Rose Garden speech in 2017, President Trump announced that the Little Sisters of the Poor’s ‘long ordeal will soon be over,’” said Justin Butterfield, Deputy General Counsel for First Liberty Institute. “Today, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld efforts by the Trump Administration to protect the religious conscience rights of the Little Sisters of the Poor and thousands of other organizations like them.  The Court’s decision is a major victory for life, for the rule of law, and for the religious liberty of all Americans.”

In his majority opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas writes, “The only question we face today is what the plain language of the statute authorizes. And the plain language of the statute clearly allows the Departments to create the preventive care standards as well as the religious and moral exemptions.”

In March, First Liberty Institute filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case.

About First Liberty Institute
First Liberty Institute is the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.

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