Obama Supporters Still Want to Force Catholic Hospitals to Provide Contraception

Katie Pavlich | November 29, 2011 4:57 PM

The discussion about abortion and whether babies in the womb have human rights may be above President Obama's pay grade, but apparently forcing Catholic hospitals to provide contraception to patients is a priority of Obama supporters, despite doing so being against religious beliefs. Why? Because allowing Catholic hospitals to opt-out may hurt his re-election bid.

Jake Tapper reports:

In August, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that health insurance plans, as of January 1, 2013, will be required to cover contraception, including FDA-approved emergency contraception.

“These historic guidelines are based on science and existing literature and will help ensure women get the preventive health benefits they need,” she said.

The Catholic Church has been pushing the White House to allow Catholic hospitals to opt out of offering birth control coverage through their health insurance, contraception that the Church considers the termination of a life.

Many in the abortion rights community are worried that the president will grant that exemption. Additionally, many Democrats invested in President Obama’s re-election are worried that if he grants that exemption, he will alienate women voters who care about this issue, ones will need come November.

Asked today about the concern and the president’s decision-making, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said that part of the process was “seeking and receiving public input before the guidelines that were announced by the secretary of Health and Human Services would go into effect. That process did result in public input, and as well as resulted in numerous comments from various folks who have concerns…about this issue.”

Carney underlined that “this decision has not yet been made. …We want to strike the right balance between expanding coverage of preventive services and respecting religious beliefs. And that’s the balance that will be sought as this decision is made.”

But Democrats and those in the abortion rights community are worried about the decision the president might make and the possible impact on his re-election.