First Liberty Institute Praises New Exemptions to Contraceptive Mandate, DOJ Guidance on Religious Liberty

PLANO, Texas, Oct. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Trump administration announced two significant policy positions that will protect the religious liberty of all Americans—critical protections that will immediately benefit First Liberty Institute's clients and aid many others.

Thanks to a new interim final rule announced by the Trump administration, clients of First Liberty are now exempt from the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate, which forced businesses, ministries, and other non-profit organizations to reject their religious beliefs and moral convictions or violate the law.

Jeremy Dys, Deputy General Counsel for First Liberty, issued the following statement regarding the HHS interim final rule:

"The new rule is a huge win for business and ministry leaders who, since 2013, have been fighting the government's disregard for their religious beliefs and moral convictions. Now, they can lead their organizations in good conscience without choosing between their convictions and obeying law."

In July, First Liberty attorneys held an in-person, on-the-record meeting with officials from the Office of Management and Budget, Department of Labor, and Health and Human Services—agencies tasked with reviewing the rules related to the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate. (Read First Liberty's letter on behalf of its clients to Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney by clicking here.)

The Department of Justice also announced new religious liberty guidelines that build upon critical protections for religious liberty set down in the Clinton administration.  The following statement may be attributed to Hiram Sasser, General Counsel for First Liberty:

"Our country has a long history of protecting religious liberty.  This guidance is part of a tradition of administrations helping to educate the public and officials regarding the laws that protect religious liberty, such as President Clinton's pioneering guidance protecting religious liberty in public schools.  Further, our nation has a longstanding bi-partisan commitment to religious liberty as evidenced by Senator Ted Kennedy's passionate advocacy for the passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). We welcome President Trump's commitment to continue this legacy of protecting religious liberty."

About First Liberty Institute
First Liberty Institute is a non-profit public interest law firm and the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.

SOURCE First Liberty Institute