To Control or Not to Control: Government and Birth Control Health care and what people are legally allowed to do with their bodies have sparked many controversies throughout history. A particular point of debate is the subject of birth control and government. A dangerous couple, this raises the question of who should have control over contraceptive laws and what controls on them should be put in place? Currently, under the Obama administration, the Affordable Care Act and “Obamacare” were created. One section of this new plan creates a mandate that requires private companies to provide insurance to cover the cost of birth control. The government should not be able to force businesses, and therefore the American people, to pay for birth control through health insurance, because doing so would violate the First Amendment and create a financial burden on an already struggling country. The Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” (US Const, Amend I). Although requiring companies to offer birth control is not a direct violation of this part of the First Amendment, it is nonetheless a violation. Religious freedom is not limited to churches, mosques or other religious organizations, nor to acts of worship (Rivkin and Wheland). So it seems appropriate that companies can live by their beliefs when it comes to contraceptives. Another piece of legislation violated is the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The purpose of this law was to protect against government actions that would target or burden religious activities or practices (Rivkin and Wheland). It's clear that forcing companies to cover something that...... middle of paper ......0406555906>.Howell, Tom, Jr. "Supreme Court must decide d's birth control mandate 'Obamacare.' The Washington Times. Washington Times, November 26, 2013. Web. January 1, 2014. .Matthews, Merrill. “The Government on Birth Control.” Forbes. Forbes.com, August 4, 2011. Web. January 1, 2014. .Rivkin, David B., Jr. and Edward Whelan. “Birth control mandate: unconstitutional and illegal.” » Wall Street Journal (2013): n. page. Internet. January 1, 2014. .Weigel, George. “The Mandate War.” National Review May 21, 2012: n. page. Center for Ethics and Public Policy. Internet. January 1. 2014. .