Religious Freedom Act

Two weeks ago the Supreme Court handed down it’s ruling in the Hobby Lobby case. You would think that the fuss over their ruling would have died down by now. I should have known better. An editorial in the Wall Street Journal suggested that the liberal reaction was so over the top that you would think the high court imposed Shariah law.

At the heart of the decision is the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The 1993 bill passed in the House by a voice vote and in the Senate 97 to 3. President Bill Clinton signed it into law. You can hardly find a better example of bipartisan legislation.

This law requires the government to implement the “least restrictive means” when devising a policy that could affect religious liberty. The justices held that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act does cover closely held, family-run businesses like Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties.

Critics (like Justice Ginsburg) predict that companies will demand exemptions from civil rights laws, coverage of blood transfusions, and much more. Where was all the concern about this law before last Monday? The Religious Freedom Restoration Act has been in place for two decades. Only now are we hearing this parade of horribles.

Some legislators have suggested that it is time to narrow the scope of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. But for some, that is not enough. On Twitter you can follow the hashtag: ?repealRFRA. Some legal groups want Congress to completely scrap the law.

On the other side are other religious liberty groups who applaud the decision and believe it will clear the court docket of many of the religious challenges to Obamacare. Last week, a number of religious leaders sent a letter to Congress asking lawmakers not to touch the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

I am ready for this debate. Bring a bill to the floor of Congress so the American people can see who supports religious liberty and who couldn’t care less.

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