Shimkus praises high court’s Obamacare ruling in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, today praised the landmark Supreme Court decision to allow certain employers to opt-out of Obamacare’s contraception coverage mandate.

Shimkus said he was again calling on the Department of Health and Human Services to release a long-overdue list of insurance policies that include coverage for abortions.

“Today’s decision is a victory for the religious freedom we cherish as Americans,” Shimkus said. “By ruling that family businesses with strong religious objections to certain forms of birth control may opt-out of paying for those drugs or devices, the court rebuked the Obama Administration’s attempt to force men and women of faith to act against their deeply held beliefs or risk losing their businesses.”

“To fully comply with the spirit of the court’s decision today, I once again call on the Obama Administration to release a list of policies offered on the exchanges that provide coverage for abortions,” Shimkus added. “No American business owner or consumer should be required by law to pay for an insurance policy that would violate their constitutional right of conscience. At minimum, consumers should know what they’re buying. “

Shimkus said he first requested a list of policies that cover abortions from then-HHS Secretary Kathleen Sibelius on Oct. 30, 2013. Despite subsequent verbal and written requests, no such list has been provided, he said.