WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court today ruled that the Little Sisters of the Poor would not have to offer birth control and abortifacients in their health care plans. Heritage Foundation President Kay C. James offered the following response:

“It is truly heartbreaking that in a nation where we hold religious liberty as one of our highest ideals, government attempted to force religious organizations like the Little Sisters of the Poor to act against their most deeply held religious beliefs. Shame on those who created these mandates and thanks to those who fought so valiantly for so long to end them. This ruling preserves fundamental religious liberties and is good news for all Americans, regardless of faith.”

Ryan T. Anderson, a Heritage senior research fellow, added:

“The Supreme Court was right to, in the face of outrageous legal challenges from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, allow the Trump administration to protect the freedom of these religious nuns and so many other religiously affiliated groups. This case stemmed from mandates that the Obama administration promulgated that put unreasonable demands on employers to cover potentially life-ending drugs, contraception, and sterilization. Hopefully, this brings an eight-year ordeal for the Little Sisters of the Poor to a close and they can focus entirely on ministering to the poor in our communities.”