In a ploy to dodge scrutiny and buy time before the election, the Obama administration used last Friday's news dump to announce it would be punting the contraception/abortifacient controversy down the road with a 90-day comment period on proposed rules.  This is a useless bureaucratic delay that does nothing to get us closer to serious conscience protections.

Beginning this week, regulators are soliciting suggestions from the public on how best to implement their anti-conscience mandate, a move that affords the administration the appearance of openness and progress, while in reality changing nothing. The administration still refuses to step down from their original demand that all religious organizations provide contraceptive, abortifacient and sterilization coverage "free" of charge-even if this goes against the consciences of the organization's people. This comment period is essentially asking how you'd like your conscience violated.

The fact is a solution to the conflict has already been found. Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-Nebr.) has a bipartisan bill in the House that if passed would restore rights of conscience back to their pre-mandate levels. Unfortunately, the Obama administration is only pretending to hear suggestions rather than actually listening to solutions.