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Miss. Senator Signed Amicus Brief in Support of Little Sisters of the Poor Case Challenging Obamacare Mandate
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upholds the Trump administration rule expanding moral and religious exemptions to an Obamacare requirement that employer-provided insurance plans cover birth control:
"Our Constitution gives Americans the right to practice their faith free from government bias. From this foundation flows a long tradition of exemptions to federal laws that burden religious practice and religious-based organizations, like the Little Sisters of the Poor. This Supreme Court decision protects the rights of the Little Sisters to carry out their good works without being punished by the government for being faithful to their religious beliefs. This is a victory for religious liberty in our country."
Earlier this year, Hyde-Smith signed an amicus brief in support of the Little Sisters, a Catholic congregation that operates dozens of homes for the elderly poor in the United States. The amicus brief, available here, asked the Supreme Court to uphold Trump administration exemptions and protect religious liberties for groups like the Little Sisters. The Court sided, 7-2, if favor of the Little Sisters.
Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania et al stems from an Obama administration mandate issued in 2011 requiring employers to provide contraceptives in insurance plans. In 2017, the Trump administration issued a new rule allowing religious nonprofits, like the Little Sisters of the Poor, to receive exemptions from the Obamacare contraception mandate. In response, several states sued the federal government to take that exemption protection away.
Hyde-Smith is a member of the Senate Pro-Life Caucus.