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Bill Nelson splits with White House on scope of contraception rule
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) is the latest Democrat to split with the White House over its policy requiring some religious institutions to cover birth control for their employees.
Nelson, who's facing a potentially tough reelection fight this fall, told the Tampa Bay Times that exemptions from the contraception mandate should go beyond churches. The White House is under increasing pressure to exclude institutions like Catholic hospitals and universities from its new policy.
"My position is that church affiliated organizations should be exempt, not just churches," Nelson told the newspaper.
His position mirrors the stance many Democrats have taken — supportive of the general requirement that insurers cover contraception without charging a copay but critical of a religious exemption that only applies to churches and other places of worship.
Republicans in the House and Senate are working on bills to change the administration's policy, though it's not yet clear exactly what approach they'll take.
Democratic supporters of the birth control mandate pushed back against the criticism earlier Thursday, accusing GOP leaders of playing politics with a women's health issue.
"The majority is trying to shore up an ideological base by reigniting the culture wars," Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said at a press conference.
