Former Governor Mitt Romney finally joined in and denounced President Obama’s assault on religious freedom today during a stop in Colorado.
National Journal reported:
At a high school in Centennial, a Denver suburb, Romney took aim at recent regulations requiring women’s contraceptive services to be covered by insurance policies under the Affordable Care Act. The Catholic Church had sought a broad exemption for the many Catholic institutions in the country to recognize its canonical opposition to artificial birth control. Instead, the Department of Health and Human Services excluded only “religious employers” that primarily employ members of their own faith communities.
The exception protects those who work directly for Catholic churches, but not Catholic universities, hospitals or social-service agencies. Catholic bishops are pushing back on the issue, contending with some telling their parishes to “defend the faith” while others say they won’t comply with it.
Although the White House has sought to point out that the policy does not require individuals to use or prescribe contraception, Romney charged it was an example of President Obama’s war on religious liberty.
“Think what that does to people in faiths that do not share those views; this is a violation of conscience,” he said. “We must have a president who is willing to protect America’s first right, our right to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience.”
He added, “The Creator gave every human being his rights. I’m just distressed as I watch our president try and infringe upon our rights. The First Amendment of the Constitution provides the right to worship in the way of our own choice.”
UPDATE: Mitt Romney wrote an editorial three days ago pledging to end the HHS mandate his first day as president.
UPDATE: The White House says the same mandate was included in Romneycare. And Newt Gingrich pointed this out on Sunday.
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