As a Canadian on the sidelines here . . . does anyone really believe they are being "forced" to provide contraception and could this explain why the issue has stalled? Isn't Trump the kind of guy who, if you told him about religious exemption, would just shrug and say, "Beautiful." He knows what his party faced with the APA and this isn't the hill to die on. Also: Collins and Murkowski specifically mentioned the preservation of Planned Parenthood when they voted down the repeal bill. 

Who buys the bishop's argument that the mandate turns the Little Sisters into facilitators of contraception or that anyone is interfering with their mission to "serve the poor"? 

I believe that Trump is so badly prepared/educated about most policy that he simply didn't understand what he was signing on to when he promised to stick up for the "beleaguered" Little Sisters and he would rather the issue go away. It sure ain't a priority. I think he was uncomfortable with the transgender ban too.