The new rules were applauded by the lead attorney for the Little Sisters of the Poor, an order of Catholic nuns who serve the elderly poor and have been challenging the Obama administration’s mandate in court. “This appears to be a common-sense, balanced rule and a great step forward for religious liberty,” said the Little Sisters’ lawyer Mark Rienzi, senior counsel at the Becket Fund. “The Little Sisters still need to get final relief in court, which should be easy now that the government admits it broke the law.”
“This was always a big, unnecessary, and divisive culture war fight,” Rienzi told reporters. “Simply put, you don’t need nuns to give out contraceptives. They’re widely available.”