Her political support for abortion access had been cited as a source of controversy, since Benjamin is a Roman Catholic and the Catholic Church opposes such access. However, she has also received an award from Pope Benedict XVI.[25] Benjamin also sits on the board of the Catholic Health Association[26] and is active in her local church.[27] Benjamin served on the board of trustees of the Catholic Health Association. She was endorsed by Lloyd Dean, the president of Catholic Healthcare West, the largest hospital system in California, who issued a statement saying he was "delighted" by her nomination.[28]