A political adviser to President Barack Obama said Tuesday the administration didn’t intend to “abridge anyone’s religious freedom” with its regulation requiring church-affiliated employers to cover birth control for their workers.
Speaking in an interview with MSNBC, David Axelrod, the political adviser to Obama’s re-election campaign, said the Obama administration remains committed to protecting religious rights, while simultaneously expanding health care coverage for millions of Americans.
“This is an important issue. It’s important for millions of women around the country,” said Mr. Axelrod “We want to resolve it in an appropriate way and we’re going to do that.”
“I’m less concerned about the messaging of this than finding a resolution that makes sense,” Mr. Axelrod added. He noted that these institutions have roughly a year and a half to comply with the new regulation, saying “I think we need to lower our voices and get together.”
Mr. Axelrod said Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius had acted on a recommendation by the Institute of Medicine’s recommendation and that she exempted churches themselves from the rule.
The issue comes as Republicans have increased their criticism of a provision included in Mr. Obama’s health care law that will force Catholic schools, hospitals and charities to buy insurance covering birth control pills for workers.
The latest controversy surrounding Mr. Obama’s health care law coincides with the race for the Republican presidential nomination, which has increased the focus on a number of key provisions included in the measure.
Campaign in Colorado on Tuesday, former Pennsylvania U.S. Rick Santorum unleashed a blistering attack on Mr. Obama’s health care rules.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s not just your economic rights. It’s your freedom of religion. It’s your freedom of speech,” said Mr. Santorum.
Speaking in Ohio, former House speaker and current Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich vowed to make the issue a central focus of his campaign for president. Mr. Gingrich, a Catholic, told Republican voters that Mr. Obama had declared war on the Catholic Church.
“There’s been a lot of talk about the Obama administration’s attack on the Catholic church,” said Mr. Gingrich.
