On Friday, President Obama announced an ‘accommodation’ had been reached on a new government rule mandating coverage of birth control options for women. Instead of forcing employers to pay for such options regardless of institutional beliefs, Obama now says insurance companies will be required to pay for it without charging businesses or individuals higher premiums. Texas Rep. Blake Farenthold was appalled by the first draft of the rule and he’s just as unimpressed with the new version. Farenthold says birth control options are not expensive and he says there’s a genuine question as to whether contraception is a women’s health issue. He says beyond that, this is a classic case of religious freedom being infringed and a textbook case of the government making decisions in areas where it doesn’t belong.
Archives for February 10, 2012
Subprime Mortgage Holders
Earlier this week, President Obama announced steps he says will assist struggling homeowners – including $2,000 for those already foreclosed upon and refinancing at historically low rates for mortgage-holders currently under water. But as the impact of the housing collapse continues, the Capitol Steps explain how this mess got started. Our guest is Steps co-founder Elaina Newport.
Three Martini Lunch 2/10/12
Greg Corombos of Radio America and Daniel Foster of National Review Online cheer Chris Christie for his defense of the poor and his rebuke of a teachers’ union official. They also dismiss President Obama’s compromise attempt on his birth control mandate. And they discuss the group of Israelis pleading with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to attack Iran until after Madonna’s concert in May.