07.18.14

Congress is NOT in session today.

Happy Friday!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard of the highly contentious and widely publicized Hobby Lobby Supreme Court case.

This bill, S2578, stands in direct opposition to the case and would require all for-profit employers to offer the full range of contraceptives to employees in their health insurance plans — regardless of their religious beliefs. If enacted, it would override the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Some Background:

On June 30, 2014, the court’s majority ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties, exempting them from offering female employees all forms of FDA-approved contraceptives that under law must be covered by co-pays or deductibles. The companies argued that those contraceptives violated the company owner’s religious beliefs, and thus, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

NPR gives a thorough and objective write up on the case here:

“While both employers’ health plans cover some forms of birth control, the employers object to emergency contraceptives such as Plan B and Ella that can prevent a pregnancy if taken within a short window after unprotected sex. The owners contend that these contraceptive methods prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the woman’s uterus and therefore are a type of abortion. Hobby Lobby’s owners also object to two types of intrauterine devices, or IUDs, for the same reason.”

This is kind of a big deal. If this bill gets passed it would be a huge check to the Supreme Court, which is a major, if rarely exercised, function of the Legislative Branch of government.

Here’s where you come in. Vote! Let your Senator know exactly how they should vote.

No doubt this bill will create another public sentiment storm- but one must remember that there are people on both sides of the coin with valid arguments and good intentions. At the end of the day, there’s only one result- so tell us in the comments- what do you think should happen?