Abortion bill not top priority -- Obama

WASHINGTON, April 29 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said Wednesday his position on abortion rights has been consistent but the Freedom of Choice Act is not among his top priorities.

At his third prime-time news conference since assuming office 100 days ago, Obama said people on both sides of the issue must recognize abortion is both a moral and an ethical issue. He said people on the pro-choice side are mistaken when they say abortion is merely "about women's freedom" without recognizing any other considerations.

"I'm pro-choice because I don't think women take that issue casually," he said. "Women are in a better position to make those decisions … than members of Congress or the president of the United States."

Obama said energy would be better spend in coming up with ways of reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies, especially teen pregnancies.

"The Freedom of Choice Act is not my highest legislative priority," Obama said. "The most important thing we can do is to tamp down some of the anger surrounding the issue to focus on those areas we can agree on."