Although October has now come and gone, some feel the scariest is yet to come. Frightening many Americans, the Trump administration has now rolled back the birth control mandate set under Obama’s Affordable Care Act.
The recent alteration allows for employers to decide, based on their moral or religious convictions, whether or not to provide birth control for their employees. This allows for organizations such as Little Sisters for the Poor and other Christian services to withhold contraception from employees. “Today President Trump delivered a huge victory for conscience rights and religious liberty in America,” said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser in a statement. “No longer will Catholic nuns who care for the elderly poor be forced by the government to provide abortion-inducing drugs in their health care plans.”
The Trump administration claims the new rules were made in an effort to put the last several years of litigation in the past. Those who claim the new rules will upset the masses even more fail to realize “The government, already engages in dozens of programs that subsidize contraception for the low-income women…” One of these programs, Planned Parenthood make birth control easy to access and inexpensive regardless of insurance.
Nearly six months ago President Trump stated he would “not allow people of faith to be targeted, bullied or silenced anymore.” Not only has he carried through on his word, the rollback covers those with strong morals against it as well. For instance the March For Life organization, a pro choice group, while not technically aligning with any religion is opposed to all means of abortion. Including contraceptives that stop any growth after conception.
In California and Massachusetts, the Attorneys General have drawn up lawsuits against the new rollback which are already in effect. Both Attorneys stated it to be against the first amendment. Yet, proving the edicts liberating, Representative Diane Black, Republican of Tennessee, said the new rules on contraception were “a resounding victory for true-believing Americans,” they will, she said, end the “persecution of ordinary Americans who for years have been seeking only the freedom to live in accordance with their faith, free from government interference.”
It must be said that countless women have benefitted from the Obama Administration’s policy. The mandate was passed with the good intentions of looking after women’s health. To name a few, the pill can help prevent acne, bone thinning, cysts, cancers, serious infections, iron deficiency and more. It is crucial to understand that Trump’s act was not one against women or against affordable health care.
However to be a peaceful country, America must be a tolerant one. This nation is filled with countless religions, an innumerable variety of races, and an untold number of different beliefs and ideas. Working as a whole has always been a struggle, and it seems to have fallen to this generation to sort out. Tolerance is the key to rebuilding bridges that were torn apart long ago.
The new rules weren’t meant to wipe out free care for everyone or too undo recent progress, no harm done was intentional. Trump’s act was one of respect for those of differing beliefs, and shows no benefit to one party over another, as it merely a newly provided exemption- not a repeal. It should go without saying those who feel no conflict with the original mandate will continue to provide their workers. Staff functioning under the exemption will continue to benefit from the government’s other services for low income women.
