{"id":763,"date":"2012-08-09T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-08-09T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/obama-reaffirms-support-for-hhs-mandate-downplays-controversy\/"},"modified":"2012-08-09T10:00:00","modified_gmt":"2012-08-09T10:00:00","slug":"obama-reaffirms-support-for-hhs-mandate-downplays-controversy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/obama-reaffirms-support-for-hhs-mandate-downplays-controversy\/","title":{"rendered":"Obama reaffirms support for HHS mandate, downplays controversy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Denver, Colo., Aug 9, 2012 \/ 04:00 am (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- President Barack Obama reaffirmed his support for mandatory contraception coverage in a Wednesday campaign stop in Denver, drawing criticism from a lawyer representing a Colorado company fighting the mandate on religious freedom grounds.<\/p>\n

\tMatt Bowman, legal counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, objected to the president\u2019s contention that offering exemptions to the mandatory coverage allows employers to control women.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThe only \u2018controlling\u2019 actions in this case involve the president's command that families abandon their faith just because they want to earn a living or serve their community,\u201d Bowman told CNA Aug. 8. \u201cThe government is picking and choosing what faith is and who can live it out, and then targeting religious people with massive penalties while bureaucrats exempt millions of other people for political reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tPresident Obama addressed a rally on the Auraria Campus in Denver. He criticized his opponent, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, for favoring legislation the president said would \u201callow any employer to deny contraceptive coverage to their employees.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIt would be up to the employer to decide. Your boss, telling you what\u2019s best for your health, your safety,\u201d the president said.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cI don\u2019t think your boss should get to control the health care that you get. I don\u2019t think that insurance companies should control the care that you get. I don\u2019t think politicians should control the care that you get.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThe Department of Health and Human Services mandate requires most employers to provide insurance coverage for sterilization and contraception, including some abortion-causing drugs. It went into effect for many employers on Aug. 1.<\/p>\n

\tThe Alliance Defending Freedom religious liberty group is representing the Colorado-based Hercules Industries, a manufacturer of heating, ventilation and air conditioning units. The company\u2019s Catholic owners object to the mandated coverage, saying it violates their beliefs.<\/p>\n

\tOn July 27 a federal judge granted the company an injunction protecting it from the mandate.<\/p>\n

\tThe HHS mandate has prompted Catholic leaders and others to seek changes through Congress. The Blunt Amendment, which would have provided broad conscience exemptions for health care coverage providers, was killed in the U.S. Senate March 1 by a 51-48 vote.<\/p>\n

\tPresident Obama contended in his Denver speech that the demand for exemptions comes from the \u201cfar right\u201d of the Republican Party. However, three Democratic senators voted against killing the Blunt Amendment.<\/p>\n

\tThe lack of broad religious exemptions to the mandate has helped fan the controversy. The mandate would apply to many Catholic charities, health care systems, universities and even archdioceses. Over 40 Catholic institutions, including the University of Notre Dame, have challenged the mandate in courts around the country.<\/p>\n

\tThe mandate has also brought tens of thousands of people to nationwide protests and caused a diverse number of religious groups, including non-Christians, to decry the mandate\u2019s infringement on religious freedom.<\/p>\n

\tWhile the Obama administration has said it will seek a better religious freedom accommodation, its details are still unclear and the mandate is already affecting many secular employers.<\/p>\n

\tPresident Obama\u2019s Wednesday speech portrayed the religious freedom issue as settled.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cWe recognize that many people have strongly held religious views on contraception, which is why we made sure churches and other houses of worship, they don\u2019t have to provide it, they don\u2019t have to pay for it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cWe worked with the Catholic hospitals and universities to find a solution that protects both religious liberty and a woman\u2019s health.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tHowever, Catholic leaders insist more action is needed.<\/p>\n

\tCardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, the chair of the U.S. bishops\u2019 Committee on Pro-Life Activities, renewed the call for broader conscience exemptions in an Aug. 3 letter to Congress.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThe fundamental importance of the religious freedom issue at stake demands a timely congressional response,\u201d Cardinal DiNardo said. \u201cThrough this mandate, the Administration is promoting an approach to religious freedom that is more grudging and arbitrary than any yet seen in federal law.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Denver, Colo., Aug 9, 2012 \/ 04:00 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- President Barack Obama reaffirmed his support for mandatory contraception coverage in a Wednesday campaign stop in Denver, drawing criticism from a lawyer representing a Colorado company fighting …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\nObama reaffirms support for HHS mandate, downplays controversy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Denver, Colo., Aug 9, 2012 \/ 04:00 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- President Barack Obama reaffirmed his support for mandatory contraception coverage in a Wednesday campaign stop in Denver, drawing criticism from a lawyer representing a Colorado company fighting ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/obama-reaffirms-support-for-hhs-mandate-downplays-controversy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Obama reaffirms support for HHS mandate, downplays controversy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Denver, Colo., Aug 9, 2012 \/ 04:00 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- President Barack Obama reaffirmed his support for mandatory contraception coverage in a Wednesday campaign stop in Denver, drawing criticism from a lawyer representing a Colorado company fighting ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/obama-reaffirms-support-for-hhs-mandate-downplays-controversy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Catholic News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-08-09T10:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/obama-reaffirms-support-for-hhs-mandate-downplays-controversy\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/obama-reaffirms-support-for-hhs-mandate-downplays-controversy\/\",\"name\":\"Obama reaffirms support for HHS mandate, downplays controversy\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2012-08-09T10:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2012-08-09T10:00:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1\"},\"description\":\"Denver, Colo., Aug 9, 2012 \/ 04:00 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- President Barack Obama reaffirmed his support for mandatory contraception coverage in a Wednesday campaign stop in Denver, drawing criticism from a lawyer representing a Colorado company fighting ...\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/obama-reaffirms-support-for-hhs-mandate-downplays-controversy\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/obama-reaffirms-support-for-hhs-mandate-downplays-controversy\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/obama-reaffirms-support-for-hhs-mandate-downplays-controversy\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Obama reaffirms support for HHS mandate, downplays controversy\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/\",\"name\":\"Catholic News\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1\",\"name\":\"CNA Daily News\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"CNA Daily News\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/author\/cna-daily-news\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Obama reaffirms support for HHS mandate, downplays controversy","description":"Denver, Colo., Aug 9, 2012 \/ 04:00 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- President Barack Obama reaffirmed his support for mandatory contraception coverage in a Wednesday campaign stop in Denver, drawing criticism from a lawyer representing a Colorado company fighting ...","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/obama-reaffirms-support-for-hhs-mandate-downplays-controversy\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Obama reaffirms support for HHS mandate, downplays controversy","og_description":"Denver, Colo., Aug 9, 2012 \/ 04:00 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- President Barack Obama reaffirmed his support for mandatory contraception coverage in a Wednesday campaign stop in Denver, drawing criticism from a lawyer representing a Colorado company fighting ...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/obama-reaffirms-support-for-hhs-mandate-downplays-controversy\/","og_site_name":"Catholic News","article_published_time":"2012-08-09T10:00:00+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA"}],"author":"CNA Daily News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"CNA Daily News","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/obama-reaffirms-support-for-hhs-mandate-downplays-controversy\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/obama-reaffirms-support-for-hhs-mandate-downplays-controversy\/","name":"Obama reaffirms support for HHS mandate, downplays controversy","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website"},"datePublished":"2012-08-09T10:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2012-08-09T10:00:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1"},"description":"Denver, Colo., Aug 9, 2012 \/ 04:00 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- President Barack Obama reaffirmed his support for mandatory contraception coverage in a Wednesday campaign stop in Denver, drawing criticism from a lawyer representing a Colorado company fighting ...","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/obama-reaffirms-support-for-hhs-mandate-downplays-controversy\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/obama-reaffirms-support-for-hhs-mandate-downplays-controversy\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/obama-reaffirms-support-for-hhs-mandate-downplays-controversy\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Obama reaffirms support for HHS mandate, downplays controversy"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/","name":"Catholic News","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1","name":"CNA Daily News","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"CNA Daily News"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/author\/cna-daily-news\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/763","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1031"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=763"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/763\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}