Patty Murray: It’s ‘Stunning to Me’ Nine Justices Will Decide Hobby Lobby Case

Sen. Patty Murray: 'Stunning to Me' That 9 Justices Will Decide Hobby Lobby Case (CNS News)

"I've worked hard to make sure that women have access to the right kinds of health care, and it's their choice, not their employer's choice," Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday.

"Sitting in that court today, it was stunning to me to recognize that nine people are going to make that decision -- and will decide for a long time to come -- whether women have to question when they go to work every day what the shareholders of that company's religious views could be."

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a critical religious freedom case. The court will decide whether the government may compel family-owned companies to provide employees with health insurance that covers no-cost birth control and other medical procedures that violate the owners' religious beliefs.