Titus Statement on Legislation Correcting Hobby Lobby Decision
Washington, DC,
July 9, 2014
July 9, 2014
Today Congresswoman Dina Titus joined the leadership of the House of Representatives Pro-Choice Caucus in introducing The Protect Women’s Health from Corporate Interference Act of 2014 to defend women’s access to contraception and undo the damage done by the Supreme Court’s decision in the Hobby Lobby case. July 9, 2014 Today Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s First District joined the leadership of the House of Representatives Pro-Choice Caucus in introducing The Protect Women’s Health from Corporate Interference Act of 2014 to defend women’s access to contraception and undo the damage done by the Supreme Court’s decision in the Hobby Lobby case. The legislation would prevent for-profit companies from discriminating against women by refusing to cover any federally guaranteed health benefits for religious reasons, including the 20 forms of contraceptive procedures approved by the FDA. It specifies that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act does not allow employers to deny individual employees access to these guaranteed benefits. The bill would preserve the existing exemption for houses of worship as well as the Administration’s accommodation for certain non-profit religious organizations. “The private beliefs of corporations and employers have no place in the health decisions of individual women,” said Congresswoman Titus. “The Supreme Court’s decision in the Hobby Lobby case opened the door for all closely-held corporations, which represent approximately 90 percent of businesses and employ 52 percent of Americans, to discriminate against their employees based on the religious beliefs of the owners. The Protect Women’s Health from Corporate Interference Act of 2014 will override this decision and ensure that the rights of the 99 percent of American women who will use contraception at some point in their lives cannot be taken away.” |