Hillary Clinton says she’s “deeply disturbed” by the Supreme Court decision this week to uphold Hobby Lobby’s rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Basically, the former first lady, senator and secretary of state is saying the court is letting bosses who oppose contraception impose their religious views on employees.
Of course, it does nothing of the kind. For one thing, Hobby Lobby has no objection to — and continues to pay for — 16 forms of birth control. It’s just one reason The Washington Post gave Hillary “Two Pinocchios” for her claims.
It helps to remember that the 1993 law that determined this case was passed unanimously by the House and with only three nay votes in the Senate.
It was aimed at a decision by Justice Antonin Scalia in which he’d sided with the government over two Native Americans who’d lost their unemployment benefits after being fired for having used peyote, a hallucinogen, as part of a Native American religious ceremony.
The law was introduced in the House by our own Chuck Schumer and in the Senate by Ted Kennedy — who said it simply restored “the long-established standard of review” that requires government to have a “compelling interest” and to use the “least restrictive means” to achieve it when it imposes something on religious objectors.
And it was signed into law by no less than Bill Clinton, who described the broad support for the law across party and ideological lines this way: “The power of God is such that even in the legislative process miracles can happen.”
No wonder Hillary’s disturbed.