In their ongoing fight against the Obamacare abortion mandate, retail craft giant Hobby Lobby has been joined in their lawsuit by nearly a dozen U.S. lawmakers. The friend of the court brief filed on behalf of nine U.S. Senators and two Congressmen says “Congress has commanded equal treatment of all under a religion-protective rule. Defendants may not pick and choose whose exercise of religion is protected and whose is not.”
CEO and founder of Hobby Lobby, David Green has consistently said that he and his family seek to operate their stores “in a manner consistent with Biblical principles.” Hobby Lobby is not open on Sundays and the company make significant charitable contributions.
The Hobby Lobby lawsuit, of which the green family is a plaintiff was filed against the government regarding concerns over the Obamacare mandate to provide insurance coverage of abortion inducing drugs, including the “morning after” pill.
Hobby Lobby faces a potential $1 million a day in fines. The company was denied a temporary injunction to halt those fines.
Joining in the friend of the court brief were: U.S. Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Daniel Coats, R-Ind., Thad Cochran, R-Miss., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, James Inhofe, R-Okla., Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Richard Shelby, R-Ala., and U.S. Reps. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, and Frank Wolf, R-Va.
Kyle Duncan, general counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty said. “While any brief by sitting members of Congress is significant, this one comes from members who originally supported the federal civil-rights law — the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 — which is at the heart of the mandate challenges. The brief leaves no doubt that Congress intended to protect the religious freedom of those like Hobby Lobby and its founder, David Green, against federal attempts to force them to insure abortion-inducing drugs.” The Becket Fund is handling the Hobby Lobby Case.
In a press release, Utah Senator Orin Hatch said "Religious freedom is an issue our country was founded on, and it's not a Democrat or Republican issue. Unfortunately, the Obama administration has time and again ignored calls to stop the implementation of a policy some organizations or businesses are morally opposed to,"
As of this writing, eleven other friend of the court briefs have been filed on behalf of Hobby Lobby.
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