Supporting Birth-Control Coverage is Not Only Right, It's Popular

President Obama's decision requiring that insurance plans cover birth control without a copay will benefit millions of women. Ninety-nine percent of American women--including 98 percent of Catholic women--use contraception at some point in their lives, yet one in three struggles with its high cost.

Now, as a result of the president's decision, millions of women, including nurses, janitorial staff, and college instructors, of all religious backgrounds, will get access to contraception--and they will not have to ask their bosses for permission.

But when I turn on my TV, I see pundits talking not about how this decision is a tremendous victory for women's health, but about what it means for the president's re-election.

"How does this affect his campaign? How will it play with Catholic voters?"

Well, as one of those Catholic voters--and as the son of an employee of a Catholic college--I'm thankful President Obama stood up for my family's health.

And, going by recent polling, I'm not alone.

A poll out yesterday from the Public Religion Research Institute shows that 58 percent of Catholics believe that employers should be required to provide their employees with health-care plans that cover contraception.

Fifty-five percent of Americans agree that "employers should be required to provide their employees with health-care plans that cover contraception and birth control at no cost."

Surprising? Well, it shouldn't be, considering that 99 percent of women (and 98 percent of Catholic women) use birth control.

Rachel Maddow explained last night how attacking Americans' access to contraception is not a smart political move:

And yet, legislation has been introduced in Congress that could take away birth-control coverage from millions of women.

Here's a word of advice to politicians: you can attack something that 99 percent of American women use, but when you do, you do so at your own risk.

Paid for by NARAL Pro-Choice America, www.ProChoiceAmerica.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.