Facing a continued barrage of criticism particularly from Catholic organizations over its
mandate requiring coverage of contraceptive services in health insurance plans offered by religiously affiliated universities and hospitals, the White House yesterday suggested that there may be room for compromise. In the daily press briefing (
full text), White House Press Secretary Jay Carney engaged in this exchange with reporters:
Q ... On the decision about the religious-affiliated groups and contraception, you were asked last week if there’s a debate within the administration about reconsidering, and you flatly said, no, the decision has been made. Does that absolutely remain the case, no reconsideration?
MR. CARNEY: It does. The President is committed to making sure that all women have access to these important preventive services. But I think it is important to remember what was clearly stated when this policy decision was announced and that is that we will be working with those organizations and individuals who have concerns about the implementation of this rule, and that’s why that time period of a full year beginning in August of 2012 was put into place because the President is very interested in finding the appropriate balance between religious beliefs and convictions -- and he takes those very seriously -- and his commitment to making sure that women of all faiths have access to these important health care preventive services. So that process will continue. And I think that that point was overlooked in the initial coverage of the decision....
Q ... [T]here’s a perception out there -- and in some cases David Axelrod’s comments led some to think that the very implementation you’ve talked about over the next year or so will lead to a different outcome, that in the rule-making, there will be some deal cut, some out given to get away from this controversy. Ultimately, no matter how it’s implemented, will the bottom line remain the same, that these organizations have to provide that contraceptive coverage?
MR. CARNEY: The President’s interest is in making sure that -- on the one side of this balance ... that all ... women here, have access to the same preventive care services.
He is also concerned about and understands the religious concerns that have been raised and takes seriously the religious convictions that are behind the concerns that have been raised. And we will work in this period to see if there is a way, to try to find a way to make sure that the implementation of the policy or to see if the implementation of the policy can be done in a way that allays some of those concerns.
But there are ways to I think help resolve this issue that ensures that we provide that important preventive service, that health care coverage, to all women, and that tries -- in a way that also tries to allay some of these concerns.
The
Los Angeles Times characterized Carney's comments as more a shift in emphasis than substance.
