Citing religious freedom, Trump backing off Obama-era rules
At a time when Trump finds himself embattled on many fronts, the two directives — issued almost simultaneously on Friday — demonstrated the president's eagerness to retain the loyalty of social conservatives who make up a key part of his base. Leaders of that constituency were exultant.
"
Liberal advocacy groups, including those supporting LGBT and reproductive rights, were outraged.
"The Trump administration is saying to employers, 'If you want to discriminate, we have your back,'" said
Her organization is among several that are planning to challenge the birth-control rollback in court. The
"The Trump administration is forcing women to pay for their boss' religious beliefs," said
The Democratic attorneys general of
Both directives had been in the works for months, with activists on both sides of a culture war on edge about the timing and the details.
The religious-liberty directive, issued by Attorney General
"Except in the narrowest circumstances, no one should be forced to choose between living out his or her faith and complying with the law," Sessions wrote.
In what is likely to be one of the more contested aspects of the document, the
The
The new policy on contraception, issued by the
Employers with religious or moral qualms will also be able to cover some birth control methods, and not others. Experts said that could interfere with efforts to promote modern long-acting implantable contraceptives, such as IUDs, which are more expensive.
The top Democrat in the
"This administration's contempt for women reaches a new low with this appalling decision to enable employers and health plans to deny women basic coverage for contraception," she said.
On the Republican side, however, House Speaker
The new policy took effect on Friday, but its impact won't be known immediately and may not be dramatic.
"I can't imagine that many employers are going to be willing to certify that they have a moral objection to standard birth control methods," said
Nonetheless, he worried that the new rules would set a precedent for undermining basic health benefits required under federal law. The administration has estimated that some 200 employers who have already voiced objections to the Obama-era policy would qualify for the expanded opt-out, and that 120,000 women would be affected.
Since contraception became a covered preventive benefit, the share of female employees paying with their own money for birth control pills has plunged to 3 percent, according to the
Many Catholic hospitals now rely on an Obama-era workaround under which the government pays for the cost of birth control coverage. That workaround can continue under the new rules.
Despite that workaround, there have been extensive legal battles waged by religious institutions and other parties challenging the birth-control mandate.
Doctors' groups that were instrumental in derailing Republican plans to repeal Obama's health law outright expressed their dismay.
"Instead of fulfilling its mission 'to enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans,' HHS leaders under the current administration are focused on turning back the clock on women's health," said the organization's president, Dr.
Crary reported from
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