As you all know, the Affordable Care Act includes the requirement to cover preventative healthcare and the regulations that have been created to define what that means include contraceptives. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops have opposed that since even though it exempts churches, it does not exempt other religiously affiliated institutions, such as hospitals and colleges. The Obama administration offered an olive branch by not requiring religiously affiliated organizations to pay for it, the insurance company would.

What was their response? They rejected the offer since it doesn’t include companies owned by religious people with an objection to contraceptives.

How will the Obama administration respond? I would hope that the president grows a back bone, stands up to the bishops and just requires that everyone be treated the same under the law: All women can get contraceptives without co-pay (a win for everyone, employers have less maternity leave to worry about, insurance companies can save money on births they have to pay for, and women can choose when or if they’ll have a child) and all employers have to offer insurance plans that provide basic coverage.

It would be nice if Obama flipped the bishops the bird for emphasis, but I think I’m already asking for more than he’ll deliver.

(Via Americans United)