WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement Tuesday as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. The case challenges a requirement of the Affordable Care Act that qualifying health insurance plans offer women access to birth control at no cost.
“A woman’s choice in birth control should be between her and her doctor, period. The religious beliefs of the woman’s employer should have no role in it whatsoever. As the Supreme Court hears arguments in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. today, the reproductive health of millions of women is on the line. Hobby Lobby’s main argument — that the corporation should be allowed to deny its female employees insurance coverage for contraception that its owners find religiously objectionable – is fundamentally discriminatory against women, particularly those who lack the financial means to pay for contraception out of pocket.
“The First Amendment protects the rights of an individual to freely practice his or her religion, but I take issue with the notion that for-profit corporations are capable of religious belief. Hobby Lobby is a nationwide chain employing more than 13,000 full-time employees and earning more than $2 billion in annual revenue. It is organized as a for-profit corporation and its owners receive all of the benefits that go along with that structure. The argument that such a business – as opposed to its owners – has religious beliefs is a regrettable, if predictable, consequence of the deplorable Citizens United decision. By bringing this case, Hobby Lobby is trying to elevate the religious beliefs of its owners over those of the vast majority of Americans who see no conflict between their religion and safe, legal methods of contraception. If the Supreme Court were to accept this argument, the next case will be about a business owner who wants to use religious freedom to exempt a business from offering any healthcare at all, or who wishes to discriminate against LGBT employees in violation of state law, or against African-American employees or customers in violation of state and federal law. Our Constitution allows and respects all religious beliefs, but it does not provide an excuse for businesses to escape the responsibilities of generally applicable laws.
“Decisions about a woman’s health care options should be made in a doctor’s office, not in a boardroom. If certain contraceptive options violate a woman’s personal religious beliefs, she is free not to pursue those options, but her employer should not be allowed to make that decision for her. It is my sincere hope that the Supreme Court rules against Hobby Lobby on this matter, and prevents the further abuse of religious exemptions for discriminatory corporate policies.”