"Trump admin keeps Obama rule requiring Little Sisters of the Poor to pay for contraception ... for now"

lifesitenews.com

"The Trump administration's Department of Justice (DOJ) caused surprise by signaling that it intends to continue the Obama administration's court battle with the Little Sisters of the Poor and other religious groups over the HHS contraception mandate, at least for the time being.

While Trump had promised on the campaign trail to drop the provision, the DOJ has now asked the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals for 60 more days to negotiate with East Texas Baptist University and other religious institutions to find a solution to their religious liberty concerns.

In June 2016, the Supreme Court in Zubik v. Burwell had ordered the government to work with the Little Sisters of the Poor and other religious employers to find a solution. Dozens of religious groups have objected to being forced by the Obama administration to provide their employees with health insurance that covers contraceptives and potentially abortifacient drugs and devices. 

However, thanks to the Supreme Court, the Trump administration is prevented from enforcing the heavy penalties the contraception mandate imposes on non-compliant employers. 

The DOJ's decision to prolong the case, essentially picking up where the Obama administration left off, has puzzled conservatives. 

The DOJ's actions '[seem] to be very contrary to what they’ve been saying publicly,' Eric Rassbach, an attorney for Becket Law (formerly the Becket Fund for Religious Freedom), told The Washington Post. According to Rassbach, the same lawyers who dealt with the case for the Obama administration remain on the case."