Banks Praises President's Move to Protect Employers' Conscience Rights

Statement

Congressman Jim Banks (IN-03) today made the following statement regarding President Donald Trump's move to ensure organizations, private businesses, and institutions of higher education are not forced to sponsor insurance coverage that violates their religious or moral beliefs.

"Employers who decide to follow their conscience should not suffer punishment from their government," said Banks. "The Obama administration set a dangerous precedent for violating our religious liberty and I am pleased to see President Trump follow through on his promise to reverse the course and preserve the rights of conscience for all Americans."

Background:

The Obamacare contraceptive mandate previously forced businesses, organizations and higher education institutions to provide health care coverage that violated their faith or moral beliefs. In March 2017 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a charity called "Little Sisters of the Poor," stating that the mandate violated its freedom of religion by fining the charity for following its conscience. In that ruling, the Supreme Court directed the government to work out a better solution to respect the religious beliefs of the "Little Sisters of the Poor." Today, the Administration issued new regulations that will protect and exempt organizations like this from paying for life-ending drugs that are in opposition to their beliefs or mission. The new regulations will protect any nonprofit group, non-publicly traded company, or higher education institution with religious or moral objections to the Obamacare contraceptive mandate.

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