Kaine, a former Democratic National Committee chairman from 2009 to 2011, told radio station WHRV in Hampton Roads that the administration “made a bad decision” in how it crafted the policy, according to a transcript from his campaign.
Two Democratic senators, Robert P. Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, have already called on the White House to change the policy, with Manchin slamming it as “un-American” in a letter to Obama.
White House officials, along with dozens of liberal religious leaders and several leading Democratic lawmakers, defended the policy Wednesday, describing it as a crucial protection for women who deserve birth-control coverage no matter where they work. The White House also publicized a support letter signed by 600 doctors and medical students. Nearly two dozen leaders of organizations including Catholics for Choice and the Central Conference of American Rabbis issued a statement saying the policy will “safeguard individual religious liberty” while helping “improve the health of women, their children, and families.”
The rule, enacted last month as part of Obama’s health-care overhaul, requires employers to provide female employees the full range of contraceptive coverage, including birth control, the “morning-after pill” and sterilization services. The measure exempts churches but covers religiously affiliated colleges and hospitals, meaning that many Catholic-run institutions would have to offer plans that church leaders say violate their teachings.
Catholic bishops have been leading the opposition to the rule by distributing letters and other materials to be shared with millions of worshipers.
The issue has exploded as a campaign theme, with GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and others accusing Obama of pursuing an anti-religion agenda.
With their statements Wednesday, GOP lawmakers sought to elevate the controversy beyond a potentially narrow dispute over birth control into a larger battle over government intrusion
“In imposing this requirement, the federal government has drifted dangerously beyond its constitutional boundaries, encroaching on religious freedom in a manner that affects millions of Americans and harms some of our nation’s most vital institutions,” House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said in a rare speech on the chamber floor. “If the president does not reverse the attack on religious freedom, then the Congress, acting on behalf of the American people and the Constitution we are sworn to uphold and defend, must.”
Loading...
Comments