Family Ties

The conversation thus far has focused on the employees and students who would receive services under the law. The text of the HHS rule, however, extends far beyond them. It requires coverage, with no co-pay charge, of all Food and Drug Administration-approved "contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures...for all women with reproductive capacity."

That includes all female minors who are covered under employer-provided family insurance plans. That means Obama's contraceptive mandate extends to all American daughters covered by an insurer.

You'd think we'd have figured this out about the HHS mandate, simply by following its logic: You have dependent children. You are employed by a company whose insurance benefits require (via the mandate) free access to contraceptive, sterilization and abortifacient means of birth control. One or more of your dependent children is a daughter. She is thus covered, and if she wishes to have the access, you have no legal recourse to prevent it.

Currently, twenty-six states and the District of Columbia allow all children twelve and older access to contraceptives without any parental consent or notification. Connecticut and Maine let minors get an abortion without parental consent or a court's permission. States such as Oregon allow sterilization — yes, without parental consent or notification — as young as age fifteen.

Twelve and older? I thought a twelve year old who had sex was being statutorily raped by someone, whatever state she lives in. Yet the state's law would encourage this. Such laws of fairly longstanding ought to have been enough by themselves to have instigated a voter rebellion, throwing out the office holders who support the policies and impeaching any judges who impose them. There's just one problem: the voters don't care. If they did we'd have seen results a long time ago. We haven't, and we won't. That's why I say the country is morally insane. And now

The President has obliterated the laws of about half the states. Parents cannot opt out — they have to pay for this whether they like it or not. And they won't even find out from their insurance bills because of the elimination of any co-pay.

Supporters of the administration's policy argue this is a good thing. The Guttmacher Institute, a strong promoter of abortion and contraception, said in a September briefing, "many minors will not avail themselves of important services if they are forced to involve their parents."

It ought to be front page news, but since you're among the very few who care, you get it instead from Ben Domenech at Patheos.

Hat tip to Paul Cella of W4.