After uproar, Obama tweaks birth control rule

AP Photo/Susan Walsh

Updated 3:33 p.m. Eastern Time

In what senior administration officials described as an "accommodation" in the wake of an uproar from religious leaders, President Obama announced Friday that the government will not force religiously-affiliated institutions such as schools, charities and hospitals to directly provide birth control coverage as part of their employees' health care coverage.

Female employees of these religiously-affiliated institutions will, however, still have access to no-cost contraceptive coverage. It will come directly from the employee's health insurer, who will be required to offer the coverage for free. Religious organizations will not be required to provide the contraception coverage, subsidize it or refer women to it.

Speaking in the White House briefing room, the president said the decision protects religious liberty while ensuring that "women will still have access to free preventive care that includes contraceptive services no matter where they work."

The president said that religious liberty is an "unalienable right as enshrined in our Constitution," adding: "As a citizen, and as a Christian, I cherish this right."

A White House official told CBS News that Mr. Obama called Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, who has been critical of the White House position, to tell him about the change.

Timothy Dolan: Birth control tweak a "first step"

Mr. Obama said the White House had initially planned to spend the next year before the requirement was implemented to work out solutions to possible objections, but both the "genuine concerns" and "cynical desire on the part of some to make this into a political football" forced the administration to move more quickly. 

The Obama administration announced last month that while churches and other explicitly religious organizations will be exempt from new federal requirements that employers offer health care coverage that includes access to contraception and other preventive services without a copay, religiously-affiliated organizations will not be exempt. The new regulations had been laid out in the federal health care law.

The decision angered many Catholics, including some who are largely supportive of President Obama's policies - among them a handful of Senate Democrats who urged Mr. Obama to reverse course. Republican lawmakers and presidential candidates have been deeply critical of the decision, which House Speaker John Boehner called "an unambiguous attack on religious freedom."

At the Conservative Political Action conference on Friday, GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum said the decision is "not about contraception. It's about economic liberty. It's about freedom of speech. It's about freedom of religion. It's about government control of your lives. And it's got to stop."

Planned Parenthood said it supported Friday's announcement.

"We believe the compliance mechanism does not compromise a woman's ability to access these critical birth control benefits," said the group's president, Cecile Richards.

The policy change was designed to quell criticism placate Catholic groups and other critics without alienating a liberal base that is broadly supportive of contraceptive coverage.

"Nearly 99 percent of all women have relied on contraception at some point in their lives -- 99 percent," Mr. Obama said Friday. "And yet more than half of all women between the ages of 18 and 34 have struggled to afford it."

In a fact sheet accompanying the announcement, the White House suggested that insurance companies will not object to the new requirement because covering contraception saves them money "by keeping women healthy and preventing spending on other health services." 

America's Health Insurance Plans, the umbrella group that speaks for insurance companies, issued a cautionary statement in response to the announcement.

"We are concerned about the precedent this proposed rule would set," it said. "As we learn more about how this rule would be operationalized, we will provide comments through the regulatory process."

Insurers respond cautiously to contraceptive plan

A recent poll by the Public Religion Research Institute found that a slim majority of Americans - including Catholics - believe that "employers should be required to provide their employees with health care plans that cover contraception and birth control at no cost." 

"This is an issue where people of good will on both sides of the debate have been sorting through some very complicated questions to find a solution that works for everyone," Mr. Obama said Friday. "With today's announcement, we've done that. Religious liberty will be protected and a law that requires free preventive care will not discriminate against women."

"Now, we live in a pluralistic society where we're not going to agree on every single issue or share every belief," he continued. "That doesn't mean that we have to choose between individual liberty and basic fairness for all Americans. We are unique among nations for having been founded upon both these principles and our obligation as citizens is to carry them forward. I have complete faith that we can do that."

[rightontarget]

Female employees of these religiously-affiliated institutions will, however, still have access to no-cost contraceptive coverage. It will come directly from the employee's health insurer, who will be required to offer the coverage for free. Religious organizations will not be required to provide the contraception coverage, subsidize it or refer women to it.
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And the Religeous Right has a problem with this because???????? They won't have to "offer" coverage or pay for it or even refer women to it, thereby allowing them the freedom to practice their religion WITHOUT IMPOSING their beliefs on others. Oh yeah, I forgot. It eliminates their "right" to "control" others ability to make a "choice". Because, after all, they are really the ones trying to rule the world and make everyone else comply with their own beliefs. (All for a "righteous" cause of course. Kinda like the radical Islamists don't ya think?)

[kevjustice]

looks like republicans are not talking about the economy anymore since improving statitics have been released. birth control is their number one issue. LOL!!!!!

[MCR7117]

I havent watched "face the nation" in quite a while.However,I feel that what I saw,BOB complete slander,irresponsable reporting. first Im a republican , I saw President Obamas News conferance, this is not about freedom of religion, its about a health care choice.He said insurance company"s paying if a woman chooses to have this CHOICE if your employer is religious based and opposes contraception .I wish I caught the name of the congressman you were talking to any public servant that ignorant of the facts and issues should resign and when did you Bob stop being a responsable newsman and simply read the prompter shame on you both.

[benunhappy]

YOU MCR7117 like the Catholic elite and the rest of YOUR gop have shown your normal side of continueing disrespect and more of the same discriminating Idealism AMERICA expects from the GOP AND THE CATHOLICS TOWARDS WOMEN. Let the wealthy recieve unemployment benifits and get free health care and thier schools haven't been defunded and closed or have any of thier teachers laid off. You and those who think they are middle class wealthy wanna be's need to realize THE GOP AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ARE WRONG, LIFE and liberty "for all". tHE gop HAS CREATED MORE "POOR" and less MIDDLE CLASS, WHICH are you. "RESEARCH" BEFORE YOU LET EVERTONE KNOW HOW STUPID YOU ARE. I "WAS" once A follower of the GOP then I RESEARCHED as was ENLIGHTENED and stopped believing the LIES and realized that the GOP thru-out history has been the party that spend,spend ,spend and the DEMOCRATS are always the one to BUDGET the deficit.

[Idiosync]

I say tax all religious organizations. They are parasites on the masses.

[benunhappy]

WANTED: FORMER CATHOLIC wants new house of worship! New house of worship must meet certain requirements: NO abusing children,Must allow WOMEN EQUAL RIGHTS,NO LIYING to the membership,NO playing POLITICS with peoples HEALTH, no requirements of fees or DUES to BELONG(my kids were removed from classes when I was laid off and couldn't pay tuition),must not only be an equal opportunity employer but an equal opportunity supplier of decentcy in the work place.

[fldmail]

If men had babies, there would be no discussion....

[wmartin4508]

Why is Obama acting like a KING?
Obama acts this way because the libs love trashing the Constitution
When it is over an done the party will start with a new president.

[bearfoot33]

you're 180 degrees off! were you conscious (i.e.awake) during the bushies/reagan's)years? those potus's flaunted or ignored the spirit and letter of the costitution more than any leaders in memory. i'm a korean WARveteran.

[Idiosync]

Libs? Poor misled simpleton. Sorry, republican and blue dogs are the ones who are hell bent on trashing the constitution.

[shameonbush]

I can only liken this "tweek" that Obama did with his contraceptive push to be like standing in the middle of a Church and throwing condoms at the parishioners and then expecting it to be ok since it's free. "But we don't want your contraceptives, we don't believe in it," they say. "Too bad, I know better than your God." says Obama.

[MCR7117]

Wake up, where do you go to church?This is America the Constitution affords us the right to choose yes or no you have no faith in your church your country or yourself This is not about your religion. No one says you have to use contraceptives If your faith in your fellow woman was strong you would not care
If insurance provider paid for choice,Let me explain If there is a porn store on the corner you dont have to go in there you dont have to like it,I dont,As long as the people who do respect other peoples rights and dont break laws,they have freedom to do so.Get it

[benunhappy]

The catholic church as well as you can't believe that 98% of us catholics and most of the states use contraceptives and or already have this in the INSURANCE policies. Have you ever been able to recieve the COMPANY INSURANCE and decice which coverage you want out of all thats in the policy. I think not,you shouldn't believe everything from the pulpit, You take the side of an org. that has DISCRIMINATED AGAINST women SINCE THIER EXISTANCE, THAT HAS raped OUR CHILDREN,that has not been held accountable for crimes and THAT HAS LIED FOR THE "good of all it"s church" NOT FOR GOOD OF ALL IT'S PEOPLE!

[bearfoot33]

why bother?

[sonia-babe]

well i dont live in amrica bt i think that obama should make a decision that ca be suitable and beneficial to very american citizen

[bubba31138]

Here we have a presidential administration which has not enough collective private business experience to run a doughnut shop, but which has no hesitation whatever about dictating business practices and policies to the U.S. private business sector. This President has already effectively nationalized the U.S. auto industry. It now seems that the health insurance industry is next in line. The President has proposed a very serious solution for which there was no serious problem.

[1pheasant1]

How long have you been glazing doughnuts, Bubba?

[bearfoot33]

"nationalized the U.S. auto industry." I think you should learn what a real nationalzed industry is! your f.a.a. air controler for an example, can you imagine what would happen if that was "privatized" cost of flying would (will) be affordable only for the very wealthy? and air safety compromised more than we'd be able to be comfortable with