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February 7, 2012

Catholics Vow to Fight Obama on Birth Control ”In the Streets” 
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In what could become a major story of the 2012 campaign, Catholic groups
are protesting a provision of the Obama healthcare reform law that would
require health insurance plans, including those provided by
Catholic-affiliated hospitals and universities, to offer free birth
control methods. Reproductive rights groups have hailed the measure,
which was fueled by the independent Institute of Medicine’s finding
that birth control is necessary for women’s health and well-being. On
Monday, Bill Donohue of the Catholic League said, “This is going to be
fought out with lawsuits, with court decisions, and, dare I say it,
maybe even in the streets." Republican presidential candidates Mitt
Romney and Newt Gingrich have criticized the decision, with Gingrich
saying Obama had “basically declared war on the Catholic Church.”
Catholic clergy have urged their followers to write to Congress in
protest.



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