Trump picks apart Obama Contraceptive Mandate

According to CNN, the Trump administration in its continued push for regulatory reform has rolled back the Obama initiated mandate that employers provide contraceptive care to employees under their health plans.

New rules detailing the carve outs were released by the Department of Health and Human Services on Friday.

“The rules would let a broad range of employers — including nonprofits, private firms and publicly traded companies — stop offering free contraceptives through their health insurance plans if they have a “sincerely held religious or moral objection,” senior agency officials said on a call about the implementation and enforcement of the new rules.

This could apply to the roughly 200 entities that have participated in about 50 lawsuits over birth control coverage, according to the agency, which said that “99.9% of women” who currently receive birth control through the contraceptive mandate would not be affected. At the time of the call, it was unclear how the administration arrived at this data point.”

The Catholic Association cheered the announcement for freeing them, and other groups, from a government that forced them to act against their conscience.

“Today’s action is more than regulatory relief for people of faith, it is a ray of sunshine signaling to faithful Americans that they need not fear government bullying like that endured by the Little Sisters of the Poor,” the group said.

Little Sisters of the Poor and retailer Hobby Lobby took the Obama administration all the way to the Supreme Court over the law that would have violated their beliefs.

Feminist groups are decrying the decision and are accusing Trump of “turning back the clock,” as could be expected. Despite congress’ inability to pass meaningful agenda items, the president has used his executive authority to cut hundreds of regulations in an effort to unshackle businesses and respect individual rights that were commonly trampled upon during the Obama administration.