Caving to demands voiced by Senator Marco Rubio, Catholic leaders and others, President Obama today announced a compromise on a portion of his health care reform laws that would have required all employers to offer female employees free birth control even if the employer had religious objections. Miami Archbishop Thoman Wenski doesn't appear to be too pleased with the new plan.
The compromise would still ensure free birth control for all woman, but employers who object would not have to pay for the services directly. In those cases the insurer would have to reach out to woman and offer them the coverage.
Rubio has been one of the leading voices criticizing Obama on the rule.
"The federal government does not have the power to force religious organizations to pay for things that that organization thinks is wrong," Rubio said yesterday at CPAC.
Florida's other senator, Democrat Bill Nelson, ever the moderate, aligned his position with Rubio's.
Though they weren't the only Florida voices criticizing the rule, and Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski isn't exactly pleased with the new compromise.
"I think he's punting, just kicking the can down the road," Wenski told CNN. "He's hasn't really addressed our concerns. I think the only thing to do is... to take back the whole thing."
"They're missing the point when they say this is about contraception," he continued. "This is about religious freedom. It's a sham to say contraception aren't widely available in this country."
Despite the Catholic Church's opposition to birth control, 98 percent of Catholic women in America have reported using contraceptives.
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