EWTN to Make its Case in HHS Mandate Challenge

11th Circuit Court of Appeals to Hear Oral Arguments

Irondale, AL (EWTN) – The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta will hear oral arguments at 9:00 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 in the legal challenge brought by EWTN Global Catholic Network against the government’s HHS contraceptive services mandate.

The Court of Appeals granted a temporary injunction on June 30, 2014 preventing the government from enforcing the mandate against EWTN. The injunction came after US District Court Judge Callie Granade of Mobile declined to protect EWTN from the mandate and its fines. The appeals court issued a twenty-nine page order just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Hobby Lobby case.

The injunction allowed EWTN to continue its court challenge of the mandate without incurring the penalties of $35,000 per day that would have begun on July 1, 2014. “EWTN looks forward to being able to make our case against the government’s contraceptive services mandate,” said EWTN Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Michael P. Warsaw. “As we have said repeatedly throughout this process, contraception, abortion-inducing drugs and voluntary sterilization are not health care and the government should not force EWTN to provide them as part of our employer-sponsored health plan.

“In the Hobby Lobby case, the Supreme Court made it clear that the government has an obligation to use the least restrictive means of accomplishing its goals,” continued Warsaw. “In our own case, EWTN has raised similar arguments with regard to the government’s ‘accommodation’ scheme for faith-based organizations. The government should not be allowed to hijack EWTN’s health plan for its own purposes. We are confident that the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals will recognize that the government should not be able to force us to act contrary to our beliefs.”

EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 34th year, is available in over 230 million television households in more than 140 countries and territories. With its direct broadcast satellite television and radio services, AM & FM radio networks, worldwide short-wave radio station, Internet website www.ewtn.com, electronic and print news services, and publishing arm, EWTN is the largest religious media network in the world.