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Examining the Misapplication of the 'Religious Freedom Restoration Act'

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Examining the Misapplication of the 'Religious Freedom Restoration Act' DO NO HARM: EXAMINING THE MISAPPLICATION OF THE ’RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESTORATION ACT’ HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, JUNE 25, 2019 Serial No. 116–31 Printed for the use of the Committee on Education and Labor ( Available via the World Wide Web: www.govinfo.gov or Committee address: https://edlabor.house.gov DO NO HARM: EXAMINING THE MISAPPLICATION OF THE ’RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESTORATION ACT’ DO NO HARM: EXAMINING THE MISAPPLICATION OF THE ’RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESTORATION ACT’ HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, JUNE 25, 2019 Serial No. 116–31 Printed for the use of the Committee on Education and Labor ( Available via the World Wide Web: www.govinfo.gov or Committee address: https://edlabor.house.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 37–317 WASHINGTON : 2020 COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR ROBERT C. ‘‘BOBBY’’ SCOTT, Virginia, Chairman Susan A. Davis, California Virginia Foxx, North Carolina, Rau´ l M. Grijalva, Arizona Ranking Member Joe Courtney, Connecticut David P. Roe, Tennessee Marcia L. Fudge, Ohio Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, Tim Walberg, Michigan Northern Mariana Islands Brett Guthrie, Kentucky Frederica S. Wilson, Florida Bradley Byrne, Alabama Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon Glenn Grothman, Wisconsin Mark Takano, California Elise M. Stefanik, New York Alma S. Adams, North Carolina Rick W. Allen, Georgia Mark DeSaulnier, California Francis Rooney, Florida Donald Norcross, New Jersey Lloyd Smucker, Pennsylvania Pramila Jayapal, Washington Jim Banks, Indiana Joseph D. Morelle, New York Mark Walker, North Carolina Susan Wild, Pennsylvania James Comer, Kentucky Josh Harder, California Ben Cline, Virginia Lucy McBath, Georgia Russ Fulcher, Idaho Kim Schrier, Washington Van Taylor, Texas Lauren Underwood, Illinois Steve Watkins, Kansas Jahana Hayes, Connecticut Ron Wright, Texas Donna E. Shalala, Florida Daniel Meuser, Pennsylvania Andy Levin, Michigan* William R. Timmons, IV, South Carolina Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Dusty Johnson, South Dakota David J. Trone, Maryland Haley M. Stevens, Michigan Susie Lee, Nevada Lori Trahan, Massachusetts Joaquin Castro, Texas * Vice-Chair Ve´ronique Pluviose, Staff Director Brandon Renz, Minority Staff Director (II) CONTENTS Page Hearing held on June 25, 2019 ............................................................................... 1 Statement of Members: Scott, Hon. Robert C. ‘‘Bobby’’, Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor .............................................................................................................. 1 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 4 Foxx, Hon. Virginia, Ranking Member, Committee on Education and Labor .............................................................................................................. 6 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 7 Statement of Witnesses: Hawkins, Mr. Jimmie R., Director, Presbyterian Office of Public Witness, Presbyterian Mission USA ........................................................................... 66 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 68 Kennedy, III, Hon. Joseph P., a Representative in Congress from the State of Massachusetts ................................................................................. 11 Laser, Ms. Rachael, J.D., President and CEO, Americans United for Separation of Church and State .................................................................. 17 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 19 Sharp, Mr. Matt, Senior Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom .................. 47 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 49 Wilcher, Ms. Shirley J., MA, J.D., CAAP, Executive Director, American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity (AAAED) ............................. 33 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 35 Additional Submissions: Adams, Hon. Alma, a Representative in Congress from the State of North Carolina: Article: Catholic Hospitals Denied These Women Critical Care, Now They’re Speaking Out ............................................................................ 122 Bonamici, Hon. Suzanne, a Representative in Congress from the State of Oregon: Prepared statement from the National Center for Transgender Equal- ity ............................................................................................................ 124 Mrs. Foxx: Letter dated June 24, 2019 from the Committee for Religious Liberty 134 Article: Hobby Lobby ................................................................................. 136 Ms. Laser: Case: In the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina Greenville Division ................................................................. 137 Chairman Scott: Letter dated June 20, 2019 from the Freedom From Religion Founda- tion .......................................................................................................... 171 Letter dated June 25, 2019 from ADL ..................................................... 203 Letter dated June 25, 2019 from American Atheists ............................. 210 Letter dated June 25, 2019 from Interfaith Alliance ............................. 214 Faith for Equality: Faith Groups Who Have Endorsed the Equality Act ........................................................................................................... 217 Article: Why Republicans Are Growing More Willing To Embrace Discrimination ........................................................................................ 218 Case: David A. Zubik, et al., Petitioners, v. Sylvia Burwell, Secretary of Health and Human Services, et al. .................................................. 220 Report: The Gospel Of Citizens United ................................................... 257 Center for American Progress: Religious Liberty for a Select Few ....... 263 Center for American Progress: Religious Liberty Should Do No Harm ....................................................................................................... 291 (III) IV Page Additional Submissions—Continued Takano, Hon. Mark, a Representative in Congress from the State of California: Prepared statement from Stacy, Mr. David, Government Affairs Di- rector, Human Rights Campaign .......................................................... 317 Wild, Hon. Susan, a Representative in Congress from the State of Penn- sylvania: Prepared statement from National Council of Jewish Women (NCJD) 320 Questions submitted for the record by: McBath, Hon. Lucy, a Representative in Congress from the State of Georgia ............................................................................................... 322 Chairman Scott.............................................................................. 324, 326, 328 Responses to questions submitted for the record: Mr. Hawkins .............................................................................................. 329 Ms. Laser ................................................................................................... 331 Mr. Sharp ................................................................................................... 338 Ms. Wilcher ................................................................................................ 342 DO NO HARM: EXAMINING THE MISAPPLICATION OF THE ’RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESTORATION ACT’ Tuesday, June 25, 2019, House of Representatives, Committee on Education and Labor, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:16 a.m., in room 2175, Rayburn House Office Building. Hon. Robert C. ‘‘Bobby’’ Scott (Chairman of the Committee) presiding. Present: Representatives Scott, Davis, Courtney, Sablan, Bonamici, Takano, Adams, DeSaulnier, Norcross, Jayapal, Morelle, Wild, McBath, Schrier, Underwood, Hayes, Shalala, Levin, Omar, Trone, Stevens, Lee, Castro, Foxx, Roe, Thompson, Walberg, Guth- rie, Byrne, Grothman, Stefanik, Allen, Smucker, Banks, Walker, Comer, Cline, Fulcher, Taylor, Watkins, Wright, Timmons, and Johnson. Also present: Representatives Raskin, and Cohen. Staff present: Tylease Alli, Chief Clerk; Ilana Brunner, General Counsel; Emma Eatman, Press Aide; Daniel Foster, Health and Labor Counsel; Christian Haines, General Counsel; Carrie Hughes, Director of Health and Human Services; Ariel Jona, Staff Assist- ant; Stephanie Lalle, Deputy Communications Director; Andre Lindsay, Staff Assistant; Jaria Martin, Clerk/Assistant to the Staff Director; Richard Miller, Director of Labor Policy; Max Moore, Of- fice Aid; Veronique Pluviose, Staff Director; Carolyn Ronis, Civil Rights Counsel; Banyon Vassar, Deputy Director of Information Technology; Cyrus Artz, Minority Parliamentarian; Courtney Butcher, Minority Director of Coalitions and Member Services; Akash Chougule, Minority Professional Staff Member; Cate Dillon, Minority Staff Assistant; Rob Green, Minority Director of Work- force Policy; Bridget Handy, Minority Legislative Assistant; John Martin, Minority Workforce Policy Counsel; Sarah Martin,
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