President Obama often does things quietly, subtly, often too quietly and subtly. This is one of those times, and this one thing made Paddy and me really happy. So, in the interest of being more obvious and shouty, I bring you this lovely removal of another ugly Bush stain:
The Obama administration rescinded most of a federal regulation Friday designed to protect health workers who refuse to provide care they find objectionable on personal or religious grounds.
The Health and Human Services Department eliminated nearly the entire rule put into effect by the administration of President George W. Bush during his final days in office that was widely interpreted as allowing such workers to opt out of a broad range of medical services, such as providing the emergency contraceptive Plan B, treating gay men and lesbians and prescribing birth control to single women.
Calling the Bush-era rule “unclear and potentially overbroad in scope,” the new, much narrower version essentially leaves in place only long-standing federal protections for workers who object to performing abortions or sterilizations. It also retains the Bush rule’s formal process for workers to file complaints.
Better. Much better.
FYI: Conscience Clause Wiki.
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