The Hill News

Virginia Senate candidate Tim Kaine (D) praised President Obama's change to a rule requiring some religious organizations provide contraceptive care to its employees. 

Kaine, who headed the Democratic National Committee under Obama, criticized the initial version of the rule.

But shortly after Obama announced that, under the change, insurers rather, religious organizations that objected to providing contraceptive care, would be required to provide birth control to employees of those organizations, Kaine said he was "pleased" with the change.

"I am pleased that the White House has taken further steps to ensure that all women have access to affordable contraception and to ensure that religious organizations will not be asked to violate their beliefs in the process," Kaine said in a statement.

Kaine had previously criticized the administration for not providing a "broad enough religious employer exemption."

"There are some who ! have wrongly used this debate to pit women's rights against freedom of religion," he noted in his statement on Friday. "The steps taken by the White House show that there is a way to respect both. From the day the new regulations were announced, I've encouraged the White House to find a better solution that embraces and protects both access to contraception and religious freedom, and I am proud to support the new steps announced today."

Kaine faces a tough Senate race against likely GOP nominee George Allen. He has been criticized by Republicans in the state for his close ties to Obama.