The American Center for Law and Justice is representing 79 members of Congress in twelve separate lawsuits brought by more than forty Catholic organizations that are suing the Obama administration over the Obamacare mandate that employers provide contraceptive services, including abortifacients, to to their employees under their health care programs. The reason for the lawsuit is that this applies even to those employers whose religious faith forbids them in participating in the murder of unborn infants.

WND reports,

Edward White, senior counsel for activist legal team, said, “It is essential to defeat the HHS mandate. The mandate devastates the religious freedom of all employers seeking to comply with their religious beliefs.”

He continued, “This is not just an issue negatively impacting Catholics. This is an issue negatively impacting employers of all faiths.”

In the briefs submitted in the cases backing the Catholic organizations, the ACLJ opposes the federal government’s motions to dismiss the 12 lawsuits. The briefs were submitted with requests that the courts accept them for filing.

The briefs demonstrate how the mandate runs against the First Amendment and the American tradition of the practice of religious conscience of the citizens of the United States.

The Alliance Defending Freedom's (ADF) Senior Counsel Gregory S. Baylor said,

“Christian colleges should remain free to operate according to their deeply held beliefs. Punishing religious people and organizations for freely exercising their faith is an assault on our most fundamental American freedoms. This mandate leaves religious employers with no real choice: you must either comply and abandon your religious freedom and conscience, or resist and be taxed for your faith. Every American should know that a government with the power to do this to anyone can do this – and worse – to everyone.”

ADF has been in this battle from the beginning, having filed three other lawsuits against the mandate on the behalf of Geneva College and The Seneca Hardwood Lumber Company in Pennsylvania, Louisiana College in Louisiana, and Hercules Industries in Colorado.

The Congress members who have joined in the filings by the ACLJ are as follows:

  • Jeff Landry, La.
  • Robert Aderholt, Ala.
  • Todd Akin, Mo.
  • Mark Amodei, Nev.
  • Michele Bachmann, Minn.
  • Spencer Bachus, Ala.
  • Lou Barletta, Pa.
  • Roscoe Bartlett, Md.
  • Dan Benishek, Mich.
  • Gus Bilirakis, Fla.
  • Diane Black, Tenn.
  • Marsha Blackburn, Tenn.
  • Charles Boustany, La.
  • Kevin Brady, Texas
  • Paul Broun, Ga.
  • Dan Burton, Ind.
  • Francisco “Quico” Canseco, Texas
  • Bill Cassidy, La.
  • Steve Chabot, Ohio
  • Michael Conaway, Texas
  • Chip Cravaack, Minn.
  • Jeff Duncan, S.C.
  • Renee Ellmers, N.C.
  • Stephen Fincher, Tenn.
  • John Fleming, La.
  • Bill Flores, Texas
  • J. Randy Forbes, Va.
  • Jeff Fortenberry, Neb.
  • Virginia Foxx, N.C.
  • Bob Goodlatte, Va.
  • Gregg Harper, Miss.
  • Andy Harris, Md.
  • Vicky Hartzler, Mo.
  • Wally Herger, Calif.
  • Tim Huelskamp, Kan.
  • Bill Huizenga, Mich.
  • Bill Johnson, Ohio
  • Walter Jones, N.C.
  • Jim Jordan, Ohio
  • Mike Kelly, Pa.
  • Steve King, Iowa
  • John Kline, Minn.
  • Raul Labrador, Idaho
  • Doug Lamborn, Colo.
  • James Lankford, Okla.
  • Bob Latta, Ohio
  • Dan Lipinski, Ill.
  • Blaine Luetkemeyer, Mo.
  • Dan Lungren, Calif.
  • Don Manzullo, Ill.
  • Jeff Miller, Fla.
  • Mick Mulvaney, S.C.
  • Tim Murphy, Pa.
  • Randy Neugebauer, Texas
  • Alan Nunnelee, Miss.
  • Pete Olson, Texas
  • Steven Palazzo, Miss.
  • Ron Paul, Texas
  • Steve Pearce, N.M.
  • Joe Pitts, Pa.
  • Ted Poe, Texas
  • Mike Pompei, Kan.
  • Ben Quayle, Ariz.
  • Reid Ribble, Wis.
  • Phil Roe, Tenn.
  • Todd Rokita, Ind.
  • Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Fla.
  • Dennis Ross, Fla.
  • Steve Scalise, La.
  • Bobby Schilling, Ill.
  • Jean Schmidt, Ohio
  • David Schweikert, Ariz.
  • Adrian Smith, Neb.
  • Chris Smith, N.J.
  • Lamar Smith, Texas
  • Glenn Thompson, Pa.
  • Tim Walberg, Mich.
  • Lynn Westmoreland, Ga.
  • Joe Wilson, S.C.
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