Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I have always been a very strong proponent of family planning programs and of measures to promote and protect women's health. Like many Americans, however, I was very concerned in January when the Department of Health and Human Services issued a final regulation to require religious universities, hospitals, charities, and other faith-based organizations to pay for health insurance that covers contraceptives and sterilizations regardless of the organization's religious beliefs. I believe such a mandate poses a threat to our religious freedom and presents the Catholic Church and other faith-based organizations with an impossible choice between violating their religious beliefs or violating Federal regulations. In February President Obama announced what he termed an ``accommodation'' that would require insurance companies, rather than religious organizations, to provide these services. But as I read the details of that ``accommodation,'' it became very clear to me that many parts of the plan remained unclear. A key issue, for example, revolves around self-insured religious-based organizations. There are many Catholic hospitals and universities that are self-insured and thus act as both the employer and the insurer, and a very important issue is how the rule would treat these self-insured faith-based organizations. But the rule was totally unclear.…”