WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Speaker John Boehner says if President Barack Obama doesn't reverse a new policy requiring religious schools and hospitals to provide employees with access to free birth control, the Congress will.

Boehner, a Catholic, said Wednesday that the rule is an attack on religious freedom in the country. The Ohio Republican, speaking on the floor, said the rule "cannot stand, and will not stand."

The speaker said the Energy and Commerce Committee will move ahead on legislation.

The issue has roiled the presidential race and angered congressional Republicans. The White House signaled this week that it is searching for ways to allay the concern of Roman Catholics who say the birth control mandate would force them to violate their religious beliefs against contraception.

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WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House is taking on GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney over his criticism of President Barack Obama's birth control coverage mandate.

Press secretary Jay Carney says Romney is an "odd messenger" to be attacking Obama over the issue. The mandate requires that church-affiliated employers such as hospitals or charities provide birth control coverage even if it runs counter to their religious beliefs.

Romney has accused Obama of an "assault on religion" over the issue. But Carney says a virtually identical policy is in place in Massachusetts, where Romney served as governor, and that it's ironic for Romney to criticize Obama over it.

The rule is causing an election-year furor for Obama. Carney says the White House wants to search for ways to address Catholics' concerns.