We are on the front lines when it comes to challenging the HHS mandate which requires employers to provide health insurance for employees that include paying for abortion-producing drugs – or face still penalties including significant fines.

To date, we have secured injunctions – putting the mandate on hold – for three clients – all businesses – whose owners believe the mandate violates their religious beliefs.

But there are a few legal challenges where the decision has gone the other way. In the case of Hobby Lobby, one of the nation’s largest arts-and-crafts chains is now facing 1.3 million dollars a day in fines. Here’s the problem. The case hasn’t concluded yet. Hobby Lobby is appealing a decision that refused to put the mandate on hold.

And as I told Bill Hemmer on FOX News this morning, it’s simply wrong for the government to levy and begin collecting fines on an issue that is still being litigated.

The fact is that the HHS mandate ultimately will end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. And, until a decision is reached by the nation’s highest court, putting a company at financial risk by implementing crippling fines now is not only wrong, but simply premature.

In the end, I do believe we will prevail in our legal challenges and so will Hobby Lobby. The truth is this mandate violates the constitutionally protected right of free exercise of religion. The litigation continues.

Jay Sekulow