Now that the battle over Komen and Planned Parenthood is dying down, pro-life advocates are turning their attention to renewing their fight against the new mandate pro-abortion President Barack Obama put in place.
Last month, the Obama Administration issued a statement re-iterating the “contraceptive mandate” requiring all insurance providers cover the full range of FDA-approved drugs and devices would remain intact. This mandate, issued in August, includes drugs that work after conception to destroy life rather than prevent it. The statement included a postponement of one year for religious groups that do not already carry contraceptives and additionally would not be exempted under last year’s narrow definition of “religious employer.”
The mandate not only violates such existing conscience protections on abortion such as the Hyde/Weldon Amendment because drugs that can cause abortions like ella and Plan B are included, but it also violates the principles of the Church Amendments which protects conscience rights for those who object to contraceptives and other services on moral or religious grounds.
“President Obama has declared open season on pro-life health care providers,” said Douglas Johnson, the legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee. “If he’ll do this when he’s facing a difficult re-election, imagine what he’s going to do when he’s re-elected and the gloves come off. That’s the message we’re taking to our people”...