The issue focused on whether an individual's religious belief was sufficient to prevent them from receiving federal benefits. It also examined the scope of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, legislation that was signed by President George W. Bush in 2001.

"The law is a broad, vague one, so you can't really say how it impacts you," Mr. Obama said at the news conference Tuesday evening.

The White House declined to provide a timeline for when the new administration will begin drafting a rulemaking, but the