Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn

Reprinted from Senator John Cornyn’s web site:

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) today [February 8, 2012]  sent a letter to President Obama demanding the withdrawal of the final rule issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that mandates faith-based employers provide healthcare coverage for certain services counter to their religious beliefs:

“It is incumbent on this Administration to ensure that the rights of all individuals and entities to freely exercise their religious and moral beliefs are both respected and protected. 

“Providing an additional year for compliance with the mandate does not address the fundamental infringement on these individuals’ Constitutional rights. It merely delays the violation of those rights.”  

 Sen. Cornyn vowed to repeal the mandate at a Senate Republican Leadership press conference yesterday. He is a cosponsor of the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011 and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 2012, both of which would provide protections for individuals and organizations who, because of their religious beliefs, are opposed to certain government mandates included in Obamacare.

Below is the text Sen. Cornyn’s letter to President Obama.  A PDF of the letter can be downloaded here.

February 8, 2012

President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. President:

I am deeply troubled by the Administration’s recent decision to require faith-based entities to provide coverage of services that violate their strongly held religious and moral beliefs.  This decision is nothing less than a direct affront to our Constitution.  

The First Amendment provides that no law may prohibit the free exercise of religion.  Yet, the current mandate does exactly that.   It is unprecedented in its overreach into the religious freedom of faith-based organizations.  Furthermore, this encroachment into the ability of individuals and entities to make personal decisions based on these beliefs sets an unacceptable and dangerous precedent.  

Regardless of an individual’s particular faith or beliefs, it is impossible to deny that the Constitution protects the right to make decisions based on these beliefs.  As a nation, we must ensure that we always uphold the principles and rights upon which we were founded. 

It is incumbent on this Administration to ensure that the rights of all individuals and entities to freely exercise their religious and moral beliefs are both respected and protected.  Providing an additional year for compliance with the mandate does not address the fundamental infringement on these individuals’ Constitutional rights.  It merely delays the violation of those rights.

Individuals should not have to “adapt” their beliefs to meet a government mandate.  With this in mind, I urge you to withdraw the interim final rule issued by the Department of Health and Human Services and amend it to provide for protections of conscience that will apply to all entities opposed to providing coverage of services they find objectionable.

Sincerely,

John Cornyn

United States Senator 

Senator Cornyn serves on the Finance, Judiciary, Armed Services and Budget Committees.  He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee’s Immigration, Refugees and Border Security subcommittee. He served previously as Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and Bexar County District Judge.