Majorities of both men and women in the New York Times / CBS News poll also voiced support for religious and moral exemptions to the mandate.
Those polled believe by a 57 percent to 36 percent margin that religiously-affiliated employers should able to “opt out” of covering the full cost of birth control and related drugs if they have object to doing so.
Fifty-one percent say they support an exemption for all employers who have religious or moral objections to the mandate.
The poll findings come as the Obama administration launched increased efforts within the last week to bolster support among women voters by appealing to the healthcare law. On March 12, more than 1 million mailings were sent to women nationwide in separate versions for mothers, older women and young women, reported the New York Times.
Hawkins said that her organization is “comprised of mostly young women” who see the religious freedom concerns being raised by the mandate and do not accept the administration’s claims that it is looking out for women’s health.
She pointed out the irony in the fact that she, as the employer of a pro-life organization that seeks to end abortion, would be required under the mandate to offer an insurance plan that covers abortion-causing drugs.
“There’s no freedom at that point,” she said.
Hawkins said she has “pro-choice” friends as well who oppose the mandate for forcing people to violate their consciences. They realize that the mandate is “not about contraception” and “not about women’s health,” she said.
She also decried the efforts of those who have been “using women’s health” to promote the mandate, stressing “they’re not doing it for me.”
Hawkins encouraged women to take an active role in the political battle by contacting their Congressmen and making their voices heard.
When people are talking about the upcoming elections, they should be talking about this issue, she said, adding that men and men should work together to show the Obama administration that “this is not the will of the American people.”
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Michelle La Rosa is deputy editor-in-chief of Catholic News Agency. She has worked for CNA since 2011. She studied political philosophy and journalism at the University of Dallas.