WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell issued the following statement regarding two religious liberty cases argued today before the Supreme Court: 

“One of the greatest gifts we have as Americans is the freedom to live according to our beliefs, and that’s why the two cases before the Supreme Court today are so important. At issue in both cases is the question of whether the federal government can either fine or coerce the owners of two family-owned businesses into violating their religious convictions. Two decades ago, President Clinton and overwhelming bipartisan majorities in both houses of Congress answered that question with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. They agreed that our nation’s proud tradition of respect for religious pluralism and religious liberty meant that government must continue to find ways to respect the religious liberty of its citizens. It’s my hope that the Court reaffirms that principle.

“The robust religious freedom we enjoy in this country has always been a central part of our identity as Americans. It means more than just being able to attend the church of one’s choice. It means being able to live out our beliefs in our lives and in our work, free from government interference. In recent weeks, we have heard heartbreaking stories of families losing their doctors and their plans and even access to hospitals and cancer centers as a result of Obamacare. We’ve seen how this law is depressing job creation at a time when millions are desperate for work, and how premiums are skyrocketing for millions even as an increasing number of middle-class Americans struggle to make ends meet. Add to this the growing number of Americans, including the plaintiffs in today’s cases, who are suing the federal government on religious liberty grounds, and the unintended consequences of this law become startlingly clear. It’s time we realize that this experiment in big government has failed. It’s time we repeal this law and replace it with the kind of common-sense, patient-centered reforms that will lower costs and that the American people would actually support.”