BREAKING NEWS: President Obama has announced his plans to accommodate religious groups’ opposition to a new rule that requires faith-based organizations to offer health insurance to their employees that fully covers birth control coverage.

This is an outrage. The President has caved to the pressures of Religious Right organizations that use their narrow-minded views to deny reproductive services to thousands of women.

Giving in to religious groups and bargaining with the health of Americans is unacceptable. Please take a moment to contact President Obama and ask him to support contraceptive coverage and oppose special treatment for faith-based employers.

There has been a lot of talk in recent days about contraceptive care and the responsibilities of employers who are affiliated with religious organizations to their employees.

In this atmosphere of back-and-forth spin, we think it’s important for you to know the facts:

The Department of Health and Human Services recently issued a rule requiring employers that are affiliated with religious organizations, but not religious organizations themselves, to provide health care plans that cover contraceptive services for their employees.

This rule does not apply to religious organizations such as churches, synagogues, mosques, or other places of worship. It only applies to organizations like schools and hospitals that are merely affiliated with a religion.

President Obama has already caved to these groups by granting them an additional year to comply with the contraceptive rule. Regrettably, the President has now stated that he wishes to reach an additional compromise to placate the extreme views of the conservative religious establishment.

Stand with the American Humanist Association against special treatment for religious organizations.

The American Humanist Association believes that faith-based employers should be required to abide by the same health standards that apply to everyone else. If they receive a special exemption from this new rule, thousands of Americans will have a harder time securing the vital health services that they need.

Take action now. Call or write to President Obama and ask him to support contraceptive coverage and stand behind women’s health.

Sincerely,

Roy Speckhardt

Executive Director