White House defends birth control coverage policy as conservatives push back

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Amid strong pushback from the Catholic church and conservatives, the Obama administration on Tuesday defended its decision to require most religiously-affiliated employers cover the cost of birth control in their health insurance plans.

White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters today that the policy decision was made after "very careful consideration" of the concerns of religious groups. President Obama and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius believe the policy "strikes the appropriate balance" between protecting religious freedoms and providing women with access to preventive health services, Carney said.

"I think it's fair to say that while there are those who take issue with the decision, millions of American women will have access to preventive services, as they should, appropriately, through the health care reform bill," Carney said.

The HHS announced earlier this month that all employers would be required to provide full coverage for a range of preventive health services for women, including the cost of contraception. The rule exempts houses of worship like churches or synagogues, but other nonprofits with religious affiliations -- for instance, like a Catholic university -- will have to comply. Most employers will have until August 1, 2012 to meet the rule, but religiously-affiliated nonprofits will have an extra year.

Catholics hear anti-Obama letter in church
HHS gives religious groups more time to comply with birth control coverage rule

The move has infuriated the Catholic church and prompted church leaders to attack the Obama administration during services on Sunday. Across the country on Sunday, Catholics attending Mass were read a blistering letter assailing the Obama administration for an "assault on religious liberty."

On Tuesday, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida introduced a bill, named the "Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 2012," to repeal the policy.

"The Obama Administration's obsession with forcing mandates on the American people has now reached a new low by violating the conscience rights and religious liberties of our people," Rubio said in a statement.

Like Rubio, the Republican presidential candidates have criticized Mr. Obama for the policy decision. In an appearance on "CBS This Morning" Monday, Newt Gingrich called it "an attack on Christianity." Rick Santorum also assailed the decision while on the campaign trail in Colorado Tuesday.

Carney today emphasized that the Obama administration strongly supports "conscience protections" for workers who object to facilitating certain medical procedures on moral or religious grounds. He added that the administration is working closely with religious groups during this transitional period to discuss their concerns.

Supporters of the policy decision say that full coverage of birth control costs is one of the most popular parts of Mr. Obama's health care reform package. A 2010 Hart Research poll commissioned by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund showed that 71 percent of American voters, including 77 percent of Catholic women voters, support having health plans cover prescription birth control at no cost.

[MMSomerville]

Read "Catholic Colleges and Contraception."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michele-somerville/catholic-colleges-contraception_b_1242045.html

[sirmarion-2009]

It is about Big Brother,making decisions for your business.What is next no smoking in your car? See the D.C. rat law if you really want to know how insane the Democrats have become.

[marychgo]

This is so dumb. The bishops are wrong; HHS is right.

Employers that are "arms" of the Church -- dioceses, parishes, and elementary and secondary schools -- DON'T have to provide birth control coverage for their employees. Most of the people they serve -- and most of their employees -- are either practicing Catholics or recognize that, in working for or seeking services from an "arm" of the Catholic Church, they may not be able to receive services that the Church objects to. (In fact, lots of Catholic school students are NOT Catholic, but they know that they can't object to an occasional reference to Catholic doctrine.)

But Catholic universities, hospitals, and social service agencies are NOT "arms" of the Church. Both the people they serve and the people they employ represent every faith tradition (and no faith at all). The Church has NO right to impose its doctrine on birth control to limit the preventive care available to professors, administrators, doctors, nurses, and social workers employed by these organizations.

Of course, even the HHS guideline ignores the fact that most U.S. practicing Catholics are ALSO practicing birth control....

[wfw3536]

Wait until the 100's of pages of Obamacare are fully implemented, this is just the beginning of government taking over our lives. Besides taking 500 billion out of Medicare to pay for Obamacare, the new regulation will take away more of our rights. Time for Catholics to wake up about the intentions of this administration.

[retm-w]

Tell that to those that can't buy health insurance because they have pre existing conditions. How about their rights or in your mind they have no rights.

[HemiHead66]

What are you flippin wing-nuts crying about, you don't have to use the birth control? And you have no right telling the people who need it they can't have it. Here's the answer to you abortion problem. But that's not good enough, you have to whine like stuck pigs. You religious fanatics make me sick.

[tcaldie]

I do not see the logic in your statement at all. If you are a secular for profit agency you are correct, you cannot specify that exemption. But as a religious non-profit entity, you certainly can determine, based on consistent views held, whether or not you are going to provide BC if it is in opposition to the religions doctrine (the supreme court has been very consistent on this point). Again this will be another Obama mandate that goes to the courts and will be overturned. Personally though I believe in birth control, but I do not have a religious affinity to it one way or the other.

[tcaldie]

The problem with this is it is another mandate from a govt. that cannot stop handing out controlling mandates. If it was the other way around the frikken liberals would be up in arms if any mandate just slightly crossed the line in favor of religion due to their twisted misinterpretation of the "separation of church and state" clause. Definitely a double standard. And what a joke. Planned Parenthood taking a poll like this. That is like cows taking a poll to see if people would rather eat chicken. I wonder if the chicken would have a chance???

[retiredgustav]

In about 300 years and about 20 billion people later the catholic church will admit they made a mistake on birth control.

[Smokey75]

"commissioned by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund showed that 71 percent of American"


Couldn't possibly be any bias in poll that was commissioned by a pro abortion organization now could there?

[robbyr2]

Given the percentage of Catholics who disobey the guidance of the Church on birth control, I don't see much of a problem with the poll. Of course, the issue is birth control not abortion.

[retm-w]

So it's ok for the catholic church to deny non catholics their rights and freedoms.