Vice President Biden on birth control rule: 'We can work it out'

Vice President Biden said Thursday that he is "determined" to find a solution to the controversial birth control issue and that the administration is making "a significant attempt to work this out."

Biden, who is Catholic, broke his silence on the Obama administration's new contraception rule and said he is "determined to see that this gets worked out, and I believe we can work it out."  

The decision requires religious groups such as hospitals and charities, with the exception of churches, to provide contraception coverage, without co-pays, in their employees' insurance plans.

"As a practicing Catholic, I am of the view that this can be worked out and should be worked out and I know the president feels the same way," the vice president told Cincinnati radio station WLW, adding that the "frustration" voiced in recent days "is real."

Biden has remained silent on the issue to date, at least publicly. But Bloomberg reported Wednesday that he tried to warn President Obama that the decision could become a politically divisive issue.

Republicans — including GOP presidential front-runner Mitt Romney— have railed against the decision, as have a handful of Democrats. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is also strongly opposed to the rule. But women's groups, a key constituency in an election year, have backed the president's decision.

While Biden appeared to be sympathetic to some concerns, he said there has been "a lot of misunderstanding" from those who don't see that there is a yearlong transition period, during which the implementation of the rule can be worked out.

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