Prelate welcomes Trump administration’s reported changes to HHS mandate

June 09, 2017

Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the US Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, welcomed news reports that the Trump administration is planning to broaden the scope of exemptions from the HHS mandate, which requires health insurance coverage of sterilization, contraception, and potential abortifacients.

“While they have yet to be formally issued and will require close study upon publication, the leaked regulations provide encouraging news,” the prelate said in a statement. “If issued, these regulations would appropriately broaden the existing exemption to a wider range of stakeholders with religious or moral objections to the mandated coverage—not just houses of worship.”

Archbishop Lori continued:

This not only would eliminate an unwarranted governmental division of our religious community between our houses of worship and our great ministries of service to our neighbors, but would also lift the government-imposed burden on our ministries to violate their own teachings within their very own institutions.

Relief like this is years overdue and would be most welcomed. Regulations like these reflect common sense, and what had been the consistent practice of the federal government for decades to provide strong conscience protection in the area of health care. We look forward to the final version of the regulations with hope that they will remain strong.

 

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Further information:

• USCCB Chairman Encourages Broadening of Exemption from HHS Mandate (USCCB)
• Trump administration plans to eliminate contraceptive mandate for religious institutions (CWN, 5/30)