Federal Judge Blocks Trump
A federal judge in Philadelphia has struck down a key Trump administration policy that protected Americans’ religious and moral objections to the Obamacare birth control mandate — a ruling that faith leaders say is a direct attack on religious liberty and the First Amendment.
Trump’s 2017 Rule Expanded Religious Exemptions
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone — an appointee of former President Barack Obama — issued a summary judgment blocking the 2017 Trump-era exemption rules. She claimed the protections were “arbitrary” and “capricious,” and that they exceeded the authority of the agencies that created them.
President Trump’s policy allowed nearly any for-profit or nonprofit employer, including churches and religious charities, to opt out of the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that employer health plans provide free contraception. Publicly traded companies could also claim religious exemptions, though not moral ones.
Supreme Court History on the Birth Control Mandate
The Obamacare mandate required coverage of at least one of 18 FDA-approved birth control methods. In 2014, the Supreme Court ruled 5–4 that the mandate violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) for closely held corporations with owners who had sincere religious objections.
Seeking to defend faith-based rights, the Trump administration expanded protections in 2017 with a blanket exemption. Employers were no longer forced to apply for approval, as the administration argued that even requiring such a process infringed on religious liberty.
Democrat-Led States Sue to Overturn Protections
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and other Democrat-controlled states quickly sued to block the exemptions. In 2020, the Supreme Court upheld the Trump rules on procedural grounds but sent the case back to lower courts without deciding the broader constitutional question.
The Little Sisters of the Poor — a Catholic order dedicated to serving the elderly poor — joined the fight alongside the federal government. They argued that forcing religious groups to provide contraception coverage violates both RFRA and the First Amendment.
Judge Sides Against Religious Liberty Groups
Judge Beetlestone rejected those arguments, claiming the Trump rules applied to organizations “unlikely, if ever, to be capable of maintaining a religious objection.” She also questioned whether the exemptions had any “rational connection” to resolving RFRA conflicts.
Next Stop: Another Supreme Court Showdown?
The Little Sisters, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, have already announced they will appeal. Religious liberty advocates warn this ruling is part of a broader campaign to weaken constitutional protections for people of faith.
“This is about more than birth control,” said one conservative legal analyst. “If the courts can force religious groups to act against their beliefs here, there’s no limit to how far government power can reach.”
For millions of Americans — especially seniors who value both faith and freedom — the case is a stark reminder that the fight to protect religious rights is far from over.
