POLITICO Breaking News
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In an abrupt shift, President Barack Obama will announce Friday that religious employers will not be mandated to offer free contraceptive coverage for workers, according to senior administration officials.
The president will instead demand that insurance companies, rather than religious-affiliated institutions, take the lead in enrolling employees for the birth control benefit and covering the cost. Catholic advocates had argued that placing the requirement on employers would abridge free speech rights.
Obama is scheduled to deliver a statement at 12:15 p.m. in the White House briefing room.
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