Government asks Supreme Court justice to remove block on health law's birth control mandate

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration says a Supreme Court justice should stop blocking the new health care law's requirement that some religion-affiliated organizations provide health insurance that includes birth control.

The Justice Department Friday called on Justice Sonia Sotomayor to dissolve her stay on the contraceptive coverage requirement of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

The government says religious non-profit groups can certify that they don't want to provide contraceptive coverage. A group of Catholic nuns who run nursing homes sued, saying even signing that form violates their beliefs.

Government lawyers say the nuns' insurance is a "church plan" that is not required to provide contraception coverage and has decided not to, so they have no legal basis to complain.

It is not known when Sotomayor will make a decision.