WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) released the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. In a 5-4 decision, the Court ruled that business owners can object on religious grounds to a provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires closely held companies to provide health insurance that covers contraception.

“Today’s decision threatens women's access to essential health care and marks a terrible step backward for women’s rights. Employers' personal views  should play absolutely no role in determining whether a woman can get access to vital family planning services. A woman's health decisions should be up to her and her doctor, not her boss.”