Tipsheet

Contraception War Headed to Supreme Court?

If Cardinal Timothy Dolan gets his way, it sure is.

The New York archbishop and de-facto leader of the American Catholic Church slammed the president’s contraception policy as a violation of the First Amendment, saying the only way to stop it is through the court of last resort.

“It’s not about contraception, not about a Catholic issue. It’s not about partisan politics,” Dolan said. “This is a radical violation of the First Amendment.”

The cardinal had urged the president to reverse the decision, to no avail, and called the policy “morally toxic and an intrusion into the internal life of the church.”

Dolan also has wrestled with Congress on the topic, asking Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to write a bill to put the sticky issue to an end.

Rubio and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) introduced legislation in February that would allow any employer the right to deny birth-control coverage if it goes against the employer’s religious beliefs.

In the TV interview, Dolan also lamented New York’s same-sex marriage law, saying he was “betrayed” by members of the Legislature.

The good news for Dolan, Catholics and people who believe in the First amendment everywhere is that if the Supreme Court strikes down ObamaCare in June, they also strike down the contraception mandate that requires all employers, including religious institutions, to cover and pay for contraception in health insurance plans.