U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) and U.S. Representative Randy Forbes (Va.) led an effort Tuesday to fight for Americans’ First Amendment rights by filing an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court regarding Hobby Lobby v. Sebelius.

The amicus brief was co-signed by a bipartisan group of 15 Senators and 71 House members. The U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will hear oral arguments on March 25, 2014, in two cases challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate. To read more about Senator Blunt’s efforts to protect religious freedom, click here.

“As the Supreme Court hears this important case, I join my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers to urge the Court to preserve the fundamental religious freedom that Americans have enjoyed for more than 220 years,” said Blunt.

The amicus brief lays out three arguments:

Congress has a long tradition of protecting religious liberty – including that of groups – and there has traditionally been strong bipartisan support for such efforts.
Congress enacted the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to ensure broad protection of religious liberty, whether or not a specific religious exemption appears in a particular law.
The HHS regulations do not satisfy the high bar set by RFRA. RFRA’s requirements govern the Affordable Care Act like all other statutes that do not contain an express disclaimer. Both Hobby Lobby and its owners are protected by RFRA.