Obama Doubles Down On Mandating Coverage For Contraceptives And Abortients
If you thought that the push back from Catholics (among other religious organizations) was going to get President Obama to temper his position on mandating health insurance coverage for abortients and contraceptives under Obamacare, think again. According to a report from a Democrat retreat in Washington DC, the President is keeping a hard line.
President Obama “reinforced” his stance on the controversial contraception mandate while speaking at the Democrats’ annual retreat at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. today, Senate Democrats said.
The retreat was closed to media.
Following President Obama’s speech at the retreat, a small group of Senate Democrats, mostly women, left the retreat early in order to hold a news conference on Capitol Hill to counter the Republicans’ news conference today at which they called for the mandate to be overturned.
Meanwhile, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand thinks that it’s intrusive when employers decide not to cover birth control or abortion treatments in their health insurance policies:
“The power to decide whether or not to use contraception lies with a woman – not her boss,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. “What is more intrusive than trying to allow an employer to make medical decisions for someone who works for them?”
Just so we’ve got this logic straight, if employers aren’t forced to pay for this coverage for their employees, then they’re violating the right of these employees to choose.
And the right of the employers to choose? Not important, apparently.
I wonder how much the Komen/Planned Parenthood debacle had to do with galvanizing the President’s position. Obama is facing a tough election year, and the last thing he need is a broadside on his left flank from the pro-abortion activists.
Tags: Abortion, Barack Obama, election 2012, obamacare, religious freedom
