White House Press Secretary Jay Carney suggested that there are no “constitutional rights issues” involved in the new rule mandating that even religious-affiliated medical facilities provide contraception to patients, and he avoided a question about potential “consequences” for Catholics who do not follow the rule.
“I don’t believe there are any constitutional rights issues here, but I would refer you to others to discuss that,” Carney said when asked if the Health and Human Services (HHS) rule violates religious freedom and conscience protections. “[W]e will continue to work with religious groups to discuss their concerns,” he added, “but on the other side of this was the important need to provide access to women to the preventive services that they require.”
“Forcing an institution to violate its deeply-held religious beliefs strikes at the heart of religious freedom and is an affront to the First Amendment,” Emily Hardman, Communications Director at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, after today’s press briefing. The Becket Fund is challenging the HHS rule in court on behalf of one Catholic college and one evangelical Christian college.
Carney said that such an argument “misrepresents” the rule. “Well, this does not direct an individual to do anything, first of all. The new guidelines require most private health plans to cover preventive services, including contraception, for women without charging a copay, coinsurance or deductible,” he said.
Bishop Olmsted of Phoenix believes differently. “Unless the rule is overturned,” The Republic (Arizona) quotes him as writing, “we Catholics will be compelled either to violate our consciences or to drop health coverage for our employees.” He also said that “we cannot — we will not — comply with this unjust law.”
Asked if there will “be any consequences” for Catholics who follow Olmsted, Carney replied, “I’m the wrong guy to ask.”
