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A26 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 7 May 2020
Justices wary of 'Obamacare' birth control coverage changes

By JESSICA GRESKO and That didn't happen. "Is it re-
MARK SHERMAN ally the case that there is
Associated Press no way to resolve those dif-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The ferences?" Roberts asked
Supreme Court seemed at one point.
concerned Wednesday After the Trump adminis-
about the sweep of Trump tration took over, officials
administration rules that announced a rule change
would allow more employ- that allows many compa-
ers who cite a religious or nies and organization with
moral objection to opt out religious or moral objec-
of providing no-cost birth tions to opt out of covering
control to women as re- birth control without pro-
quired by the Affordable viding an alternate avenue
Care Act. for coverage.
The justices were hearing New Jersey and Penn-
their third day of arguments sylvania challenged the
conducted by telephone rules in court, and a judge
because of the corona- blocked them from go-
virus pandemic. The first ing into effect. The judge
of two cases before them found the Trump adminis-
Wednesday stemmed from tration did not follow prop-
the Obama-era health law, er procedures for issuing
under which most employ- In this Nov. 30, 2018, file photo, the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court gather for a formal group the rules. An appeals court
ers must cover birth control portrait to include a new Associate Justice, top row, far right, at the Supreme Court Building in agreed, and the adminis-
as a preventive service, at Washington. Seated from left: Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, Associate Justice Clarence tration appealed to the Su-
no charge to women, in Thomas, Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg preme Court to step in, as
their insurance plans. and Associate Justice Samuel Alito Jr. Standing behind from left: Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, did the Little Sisters of the
In 2017, the Trump ad- Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Elena Kagan and Associate Justice Brett M. Poor. The order of Roman
Kavanaugh.
ministration announced it Associated Press Catholic nuns had been
would broaden an exemp- instrumental in challenging
tion to the contraceptive 126,000 women, to lose conversation from a Mary- with no hassle, no cost to the Obama administration
coverage requirement contraception coverage in land hospital where she them," said Ginsburg, who rules.
that previously applied to one year. was being treated for an is expected to be in the But on Wednesday, Justice
houses of worship, such as Chief Justice John Roberts, infection caused by a gall- hospital for a day or two. Sonia Sotomayor ques-
churches, synagogues and a key vote on a court split stone, gave the govern- The court's conservative tioned why the Little Sisters
mosques. But the change between conservatives ment's top Supreme Court justices seemed more will- of the Poor were even at
was blocked by courts. and liberals, suggested lawyer, Solicitor General ing to side with the adminis- the court because for a
The Supreme Court's four that the Trump administra- Noel Franciso, what sound- tration, with Trump appoin- number of reasons they
liberal justices suggested tion's reliance on a federal ed like a lecture. tee Justice Brett Kavana- don't have to provide con-
they were troubled by the religious freedom law to ex- "You have just tossed en- ugh suggesting the admin- traceptive coverage. So-
changes, which the gov- pand the exemption was tirely to the wind what Con- istration's changes might tomayor also referenced
ernment has estimated "too broad." gress thought was essen- be considered "within the the coronavirus pandemic
would cause about 70,000 And Justice Ruth Bader tial, that is that women be bounds of reasonable." during her questioning, ask-
women, and at most Ginsburg, who joined the provided these .... services Beyond exempting ing attorney Paul Clement,
churches, synagogues and who was representing the
Official: U.S. must move ahead with mosques from the contra- nuns, whether an employer
might be able to object to
ceptive coverage require-
nuclear weapons work ment, the Obama adminis- paying for a coronavirus
tration also created a way vaccine. He said "no."
by which religiously affiliat- Even though the Trump
By SUSAN MONTOYA the Savannah River Site in curity priorities and is be- ed organizations including rules remain blocked, a
BRYAN South Carolina. At stake ing done in accordance hospitals, universities and ruling by a federal judge
Associated Press are jobs and billions of with congressional direc- charities could opt out of in Texas in June already
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) federal dollars to upgrade tion," she wrote. "We must paying for contraception, allows most people who
— A top nuclear security buildings or construct new press forward with this but women on their health object to covering contra-
official says the U.S. must factories. National Nucle- project in order to meet plans would still get no-cost ception to avoid doing so.
move ahead with plans ar Security Administrator Department of Defense birth control. Some groups In the second case the jus-
to ramp up production of Lisa Gordon-Hagerty said deliverables."Gordon- complained the opt-out tices heard Wednesday,
key components for the in recent letter to U.S. Sen. Hagerty didn't specify process itself violated their political consultants and
nation's nuclear arsenal Tom Udall, a New Mexico what steps were taken religious beliefs. pollsters were among those
despite the challenges Democrat, that her agen- to safeguard workers. Los That opt-out process was asking the Supreme Court
presented by the corona- cy has worked with the Alamos director Thom Ma- the subject of a previous to strike down a federal law
virus.Federal officials have contractor that manages son has said more than Supreme Court case, but from 1991 that bars them
set a deadline of 2030 for Los Alamos on precau- 85% of the laboratory's the court, with only eight from making robocalls to
increased production of tions to protect employees workforce is working from justices at the time be- cellphones.
the plutonium cores used from the virus while mov- home and measures "fol- cause of the death of Jus- The case only arose after
in nuclear weapons. The ing ahead with defense lowing CDC guidelines" tice Antonin Scalia, didn't Congress in 2015 created
work will be split between work. "The plutonium pit are in place for those do- decide the issue. It instead an exception in the law
Los Alamos National Labo- production mission is one ing national security work sent both sides back to see that allows the automated
ratory in New Mexico and of our highest national se- and protecting the lab. q if they could work out a calls for collection of gov-
compromise. ernment debt. q