One of the issues faced by the Obama Administration in passing and implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare) was the opposition by the Catholic Church hierarchy over the inclusion of birth control insurance coverage for employees of Catholic institutions. In an attempt to accommodate the Church, the Obama Administration came up with a proposal that would drop birth control coverage from the insurance plans purchased by Catholic institutions, but require the insurance company to separately provide that coverage if desired by the employee. Since the Church's institutions would have no role in paying for the coverage, the thinking went, they should have no problem with the new proposal, right? Wrong.
The Church hierarchy
is rejecting the compromise, claiming that it still intrudes on their religious prerogatives. It's also a reflection on the Church hierarchy's clear preference for Rethuglicans. They don't want the ACA to succeed any more than most Rethug Governors do.
So, it's either back to the drawing board, or telling the robed crusaders who want to keep women barefoot and pregnant to "take it or leave it." Hopefully, it's the latter. Female Catholics have been ignoring the Church on birth control for decades. Maybe the Obama Administration should follow their lead.
