Kathleen Sebelius Decries 'Cynical Attempt To Roll Back Decades Of Progress In Women's Health'

WASHINGTON -- Minutes after former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney found himself tripped up over whether or not he supported a bill that would allow employers to deny health care coverage over religious or moral objections, the White House exhibited no such vagueness on the issue.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday evening sent The Huffington Post the following statement on the Blunt Amendment, which is slated to have a vote in the Senate Thursday.

Earlier this month, the Department of Health & Human Services reported that over 20 million American women in private health insurance plans have already gained access to at least one free preventive service because of the health care law. Without financial barriers like co-pays and deductibles, women are better able to access potentially life-saving services, and cancers are caught earlier, chronic diseases are managed and hospitalizations are prevented.

A proposal being considered in the Senate this week would allow employers that have no religious affiliation to exclude coverage of any health service, no matter how important, in the health plan they offer to their workers. This proposal isn't limited to contraception nor is it limited to any preventive service. Any employer could restrict access to any service they say they object to. This is dangerous and wrong.

The Obama administration believes that decisions about medical care should be made by a woman and her doctor, not a woman and her boss. We encourage the Senate to reject this cynical attempt to roll back decades of progress in women’s health.

The debate over contraception coverage has managed to remain prominent both on the campaign trail and in Washington D.C. And it stands to reason that Democrats aren't too displeased with that being the case.

This is the second time the Obama administration publicly released a statement on the matter. Meanwhile, party officials were giddy over the Romney campaign's quick walk back of an earlier statement in which he seemingly said he opposed the amendment -- not just because he made an abrupt reversal on the topic, but because he has now publicly come out in favor of an amendment that many voters find objectionable.

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[Overd0g2]

07:23 PM on 03/09/2012

Then don't work there.

[Honorcode1]

09:59 AM on 03/04/2012

The OBAMA DOESN'T CARE, anti-conscience people are actually arguing for the criminal mind: to not know right from wrong or to know and not care. A Representative, self government, Republic cannot work without people first governing their own conduct. How can you govern yourself without a conscience? What is a conscience without virtue? Children deprived of religious training in virtue will become lawless,society will become ungovernable, prisons will overflow,school shootings will become common and Progressives will try to eliminate the conscience,religious liberty and steal the soul of America!

[lblackw105]

11:01 AM on 03/02/2012

Women are the first victims of this bill, and should be the first to oppose it. They have my wholehearted support!

[lblackw105]

10:57 AM on 03/02/2012

The teabag assault on America continues... Look carefully at this bill, it stirs up a fight about womwn's rights to conceal the real damage to working Americans: employer's absolute control over what conditions and proceedures are covered by employees health insurance. My guess: cancer coverage will be the first to go.

[Overd0g2]

07:24 PM on 03/09/2012

Huh? Buy your own then.

[lblackw105]

09:47 AM on 03/10/2012

I already do "Buy my own " cancer coverage through the insurance I pay for. Insurance doesn't "give" you anytyhing, you pay for your care through the premiums you pay for in cash and labor (where did you think the money came from?). The "contraceptives" flap is still a red herring to hide bigger. more important controls over the employee's health insurance. Re: "a bill that would allow employers to deny health care coverage over religious or moral objections".

[Rixar13]

09:33 AM on 03/02/2012

"The Obama administration believes that decisions about medical care should be made by a woman and her doctor, not a woman and her boss. We encourage the Senate to reject this cynical attempt to roll back decades of progress in women’s health."

Why is this even an issue???

[illinoiswendy]

07:05 AM on 03/03/2012

Screwing everybody you see and aborting 350000 baby;s is not an improvement on health its the deterioration of society

[illinoiswendy]

07:13 AM on 03/02/2012

DEMCRATS once used to stand for" ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY" J F K
Now its GIVE ME MORE FREE STUFF WE WANT EVERYTHING FREE FROM THOSE EVIL RICH PEOPLE ...No work just screwing and Aborting

[illinoiswendy]

06:35 AM on 03/02/2012

Sebilius....We in the USA have to at all costs set a record for Killing Infants or stop their production in any way possible with free everything just as long as a Woman can Kill or otherwise get rid of any evidence of reproducing life.We should also think about getting rid of Baby's up to the age of 5,what if you don't like the baby or it imposes hardships on you like that you have to take care of the Kid,
Women have to have rights to get rid of any Kid they don't like.

[Aurical]

08:01 PM on 03/01/2012

Decades? They want to return to feudal serfdom and roll back the entire Enlightenment!

[DougSmith]

06:02 PM on 03/01/2012

Republicans don't want to be told what to do by the government.

But, a government mandated medically unnecessary ultrasound is proper government regulation.

Now, I have a moral objection!

[JShankel]

05:01 PM on 03/01/2012

How long before we start hearing "religious objections" to stuff  Medicare and COBRA cover?  After all, payroll taxes cover that, which means employers are contributing.

As an atheist, I often find myself having to explain that atheism is no more a religion than not playing baseball is a sport.  But now I'm not too sure.

When do I get to sit down at the public table and start making all kinds of demands based on nothing but my personal feelings?

It's against my religion for people to eat corn.  Therefore no taxpayer subsidized meal may ever contain corn.  Not a school lunch, not mess hall side dish in the army, not a dinner in a state run hospital or a hospital that receives ANY taxpayer dollars whatsoever.  Or uses the municipal power or water supplies.  Or has taxpayer subsidized telecommunications equipment.  Or does business with any supplier who does business with the government.  Or pays their staff in US dollars.

[Non Sibi]

09:10 PM on 03/01/2012

"As an atheist, I often find myself having to explain that atheism is no more a religion than not playing baseball is a sport. But now I'm not too sure."

This is precious. I almost wish I had not fanned you long ago so I could do it now.

Thanks!

[illinoiswendy]

06:27 AM on 03/02/2012

I do believe that Atheism is a religion in fact more so then not due to the fact that an Atheist will spend more time denying God then a Christian will adoring God in most cases.
It seems to be the major event in their lives to justify that they are right in denying the existence of God constantly ,Seems like a horrible existence

[JShankel]

02:25 PM on 03/02/2012

It's a living.  At least we're not afraid of being tortured after death for guessing wrong.  You sure you believe in the right God?

[Robert Secrist]

02:11 PM on 03/01/2012

Why do we have to read about this nonsense? These questions have been settled for decades.

[Aurical]

08:05 PM on 03/01/2012

Nothing is ever settled until THEY say so. They get to every party late and think it just started! All the issues they raises in the last 3 years of power have been against what should have been settled law. We are STILL talking about contraception, child labor and voting rights in 2012?

[Non Sibi]

09:14 PM on 03/01/2012

With the DOW hovering around 13,000, unemployment going down, 23 months of continuous job growth, they have nothing else to talk about.

I do have to admit to being stunned that even the Rs would dredge this up as an issue. I think they have really roused the proverbial sleeping tiger -- women in this country.

[Overd0g2]

07:26 PM on 03/09/2012

Woohoo. Unemp almost down to 8%!

[Ronpaulite2012]

11:51 AM on 03/01/2012

How about we get the church and the government both out of our healthcare! What happened to the public option you promised Obama...oh that ls right, it would have been good for the people, but bad for big pharma, big insurance companies and the federal reserve banks that recieve the debt service from the new giant Obamacare government spending program. My care costs way more now that Obama is in office, and it will get way worse....and no I am not rich. I voted for Obama and he lied ...and continues to lie. Health care should not be tied to our jobs, religion or government. The corporatism should bs removed from it and there Should be competition. Without that, we have a government run medical monopoly. This issue is just there for Obama to use as a political football. It should never be an issue to start with.

[mjtaylor22]

11:40 AM on 03/01/2012

Conservative Christians always want to impose their religion upon others.....

[twf676]

12:40 PM on 03/01/2012

It's the other way around. HHH issued the rule that would require religous organizations to obey her or face penalties. Which clearly violates the first amendment of the constitution.

[HOMEY1]

11:33 AM on 03/01/2012

if the women of this nation rise up as one woe betide the clowns in congress. every woman no
matter what party they belong to should come together and vote democratic to clean the congress of the fools who want to subjigate them to the dark ages. rise up before its to late

[Aurical]

08:06 PM on 03/01/2012

You would think so, but people everytime vote against their self interest for reasons that boggle the mind.

[illinoiswendy]

06:50 AM on 03/02/2012

I hate to tell you this but most Women would rather be at home raising their kids and taking care of their Families then having their Kids in Day care and serving a corporation for 10 hours a day and getting abused by some Idiot boss.
For some reason Liberal Women think a Girl with a 6 week course in daycare can take care of their Kid better then they themselves can .
There is NOTHING wrong with a Housewife who takes care of her family in fact a lot more honorable job then submitting and getting abused by some Idiot boss all day.
And then again why have kids at all JUST ABORT and be done with it....A Set a new record
Scew and abort...Screw and abort ...... Screw and abort.....WOW Women have come a long way

[Chris Bayne]

11:27 AM on 03/01/2012

Why would any woman who uses contraception would vote for the GOP.

[Vet67]

01:13 PM on 03/01/2012

Not just contraception. There is a whole list of reason that a women shouldn't vote for these clowns.

Imagine if the Women were telling us men, what we can do with our bodies. All hell would break lose. Trust me I grew up with three sisters and they are not ones to mess with.

[Non Sibi]

09:25 PM on 03/01/2012

Long before there were teabaggers in the equation, I have been asking the question "Why would ANY thinking woman be a republican?"

It is a sincere question. It has become even more obvious in the last 2 years. I do not understand.