President Obama will speak at 9:15 am to announce an accommodation that expands contraception access for women and meets the needs of religious employers with objections to offering coverage. I've been briefed by senior White House officials and the plan is sound.
Religious employers will not be required to offer insurance plans that cover contraception. But those insurance companies will be required to provide free contraception to women. Insurance companies would prefer to offer free contraception than to cover the costs of an unwanted pregnancy or diseases that contraception can help prevent.
This is creative thinking by President Obama and his staff. Sister Carol Keehan, President of the US Catholic Health Association, and Planned Parenthood head Cecile Richards support the compromise.
So do I.
Many Christian denominations - the United Church of Christ included - strongly support contraception and have applauded the president's efforts to expand coverage.
Any opposition to this new proposal will be partisan politics, pure and simple.
