WH Chief of Staff: Obamacare Allows the President to Tell a Private Company They Have to Offer a Product, and Offer It for Free

Newly appointed White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew appeared on five news programs Sunday and made stunning statements during at least three of his appearances. In addition to making misleading remarks on NBC and CNN in regards to the law regarding filibustering a budget vote, despite once being the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Lew also claimed that the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. ObamaCare) gives the President the authority to tell a private company that they have to offer a product and offer it for free.

The stunning claim came during Lew's appearance on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. The White House Chief of Staff appeared to discuss the release of President Obama's budget, but first fielded questions from Wallace regarding the President's decision to revise part of his controversial decision on a birth control mandate.Fox News reports on the unbelievable admission: 

“'The president has the authority under the Affordable Care Act to have these kinds of rules take effect,' Lew said in response to the question of how the president can force a private company to provide a product free of charge.

In addition, Lew argued, that providing contraception will not cost insurance companies anything,

'If you were looking at the actuarial projection, the cost of the plan, it costs more to provide a plan without than it does with.'

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a sternly-worded statement Friday in response to the president’s revision to the new rule, which in part calls the decision, 'unacceptable' and says it 'must be corrected.'

'We didn't expect to get universal support of the bishops or all Catholics. I think that what we have here is a policy that reflects bringing together two very important principles in a way that's true to the American tradition. And that's what the president is trying to do. There are others who want to have a clash over it. We want to bring these two principles together,' Lew said.

Pointing to statements of support from Catholic Health Association and Catholic charities, Lew said that the policy put forward Friday, 'is something that should put this issue to rest.'

Lew said despite protests from the bishops, the policy will be finalized in the rules."

Lew took over for former Chief of Staff Bill Daley at the end of January. Daley, son and brother of former Chicago Mayors Richard J. Daley and Richard M. Daley, reportedly did not support the controversial contraception rule on both politics and policy. Lew's full interview on Fox News Sunday: