Despite the consequences his re-election campaign may experience from his decision, President Obama refuses to concede on his new policy that requires health insurance companies to cover birth control. Under the new policy, health insurance is required to include birth control and preventative measures for women. Catholic bishops claim that this policy does not allow for religious liberty because the church does not condone birth control (Heavey).
Since his public announcement of the policy, the Obama administration has received great backlash from Catholic universities, hospitals, and other church-affiliated programs. However, according to David Axelrod, a senior campaign adviser for the president, Obama is willing to work with these affiliations "to see if the implementation of the policy can be done in a way that allays some of those concerns." The Obama administration has still not revealed what these compromises could be (Heavey).
"To force American citizens to choose between violating their consequences and forgoing their healthcare is literally unconscionable," said Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York and president of the US Conference of Catholic bishops (Heavey).
Axelrod acknowledged the concerns of the Roman Catholic Church and commented that the policy was not meant to "abridge anyone's religious freedom.".
"This is an important issue," he continued. "It's important for millions of women across this country. We want to resolve it in an appropriate way, and we're going to do that." Axelrod also made sure to note that the Obama administration does not plan to reverse its decision despite the potential consequences it could bring (Heavey). .
However, White House spokesman Jay Carney addressed the issue and said that the Obama administration would do everything in their power to work with religious organizations "to see if the implementation of the policy can be done in a way that allays some of those concerns.