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Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Hobby Lobby

June 30, 2014

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement today after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled on the case, Sebelius, Sec. of HHS v. Hobby Stores, Inc. The Court ruled 5-4 in favor of Hobby Lobby's request to be excused from the contraceptive mandate in Obamacare that required business owners to cover contraceptives and abortifacients.

Privately-held and owned by the Green family in Oklahoma, Hobby Lobby currently provides employee health plans that cover 16 forms of birth control--all under the barrier method. The HHS mandate would have required that the company also provide access to some contraceptives and abortifacients that terminate life, contradicting the family's deeply-held religious belief that life begins at conception and jeopardizing their right to religious freedom.

"Today we celebrate with the Green family, who led a brave and courageous charge to preserve religious freedom for all Americans," said Cole. "Hobby Lobby has long been known in Oklahoma and across the country for incorporating faith when running its many stores and businesses. Despite an unfair and unconstitutional mandate from the Administration, the Greens continued to live out and stand firm in their faith by fighting for their right to practice it in every aspect of their lives, including how they run their private business. I am pleased that the Supreme Court recognized that private business owners cannot be compelled by the federal government to offer those forms of birth control that terminate life when it violates their religious convictions. This decision is not only a victory for the Green family but all Americans who desire for our unique freedoms to continue as our Founders intended."

Issues:Life