BY VICTORIA CRAIG

The battle over contraception health care coverage has raged on for more than a week. But Jack Lew, President Obama’s chief of staff, took to the Sunday shows to defend the president’s view that all women have the right to all forms of preventative health care.

“So this will not cost insurance companies money, it will not put religious institutions in a place where they have to violate their principles because the total cost of care for a person is higher without than it is with.”

Continuing his Sunday appearances, Lew also defended the president’s efforts toward economic recovery. Saying, when the president took office, the country was losing jobs at a rate of 750,000 per month -- but last month, the nation gained 250,000 jobs.

"...That means that we had to take a lot of action in the recovery act, it means the economy was softer than anyone knew at the time, and we had less revenue coming in.”

On Monday, the president is set to send his budget for fiscal year 2013 to Congress for approval. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told CBS’ “Face the Nation,” although it’s unlikely to pass, he’s ready to put it up for a vote.

"[T]he only budget votes well have in the Senate, which refuses to follow the law and pass a budget of its own, would be a House passed budget  and the president’s budget, so I intend to offer the president’s budget for him so he’ll have a chance to get a vote on it.”

Lew told Fox News Sunday’s Chris Wallace, the president’s 2013 budget isn’t much different from one of the president’s earlier plans. That one was presented to Congress and failed last December.

“This is a plan that's very similar. We put out a very detailed plan for $4 trillion, not $3 trillion in deficit reduction, because it's built on the $1 trillion of savings that's already been agreed to.”

But Lew didn’t escape his Sunday rounds without providing what will likely become a Republican talking point. On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he said now is not the time for budget-cutting austerity.

“We need to be on a path where over the next several years we bring our deficit under control. Right now, we have a recovery that's taking root, and if we were to put austerity measures right now, it would take the economy in the wrong way."

Though Lew’s comments on the economy took center stage Sunday, the GOP candidates had their opportunities to sound off about the last week on the campaign trail. Rick Santorum told CNN’s Candy Crowley there’s reason behind his disappointment with the CPAC straw polls -- but he’s not dwelling on it.

“For years Ron Paul has won those because he trucks in a lot of people, pays for their tickets, and they come in and vote and they leave. We didn't do that, we don't do that. I don't try to rig straw polls."

Adding to that, he said it looks like the country is moving to his side in the fight for the GOP nomination.

"I think we can do reasonably well in Arizona, and really make this a two-person race. We saw that in Maine, we ended up with 18 percent really having not appeared up there or done anything in Maine."

Former Alaska governor and 2008 VP candidate Sarah Palin got a chance to talk politics on Fox News Sunday. She reacted to the new HBO movie, “Game Change,” which documents her life as a GOP VP nominee. But her reaction wasn’t so rosy.

“Well I’m sorry millions of people are going to waste their time and I’m sure they have more productive and constructive things to do.”

Palin said the movie misrepresented her role in John McCain’s bid for the White House, but added although it bothered her, she’s thankful she has the right perspective on what really matters in life.