Supreme Court to Hear Cases of Religious Groups Who Object to Obamacare Contraception Mandate

 

 

The Supreme Court will hear the cases of seven religious groups today (Wednesday) who object to providing contraception under Obamacare.

 

Christian Today reports that the Court is set to hear a 90-minute oral argument from the religious groups that say they can object to providing insurance that includes contraception based on a 1993 U.S. law called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

 

Among the groups challenging the Affordable Care Act requirement is a Colorado-based order of Roman Catholic nuns called the Little Sisters of the Poor. The group runs homes to care for the elderly. 

 

The Little Sisters’ case is one that will likely be affected by the death of conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia back in February.

 

Scalia was one of five justices who ruled in favor of Christian businesses such as Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. in their case to be awarded exemption from the Obamacare requirements.

 

With Scalia’s passing, the Court is left with eight justices since Merrick B. Garland, Obama’s nominee to the Court, has yet to be approved by Congress. The best outcome the religious groups can likely hope for is a four-four split among the four conservative and four liberal justices. If that happens, a lower court ruling in favor of Obamacare will stand.

 

Other challengers of the mandate include Bishop David Zubik and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., Priests for Life, and East Texas Baptist University.