Dems fight back against GOP in contraceptive battle

Amid a growing Republican outcry over the White House's recent decision requiring employers at religious institutions to provide health care for contraceptives, Senate Democrats on Wednesday defended the rule, blasting Republicans for making it an ideological battle and pledging to "use every legislative tool at our disposal to protect the women of America."

The Senate Democrats joined a number of liberals and women's health advocates in standing behind what is quickly becoming a hot-button issue for the White House and Republican presidential contenders alike.

"Women in this country are tired of being treated like a political football by Republicans in Congress who have tried continually and are continuing to try to take away their benefits - to take away their rights," Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., told reporters at the press conference. "We will use every legislative tool at our disposal to protect the women of America. We've done it before and we'll do it again."

The group lauded Mr. Obama for his recent decision, which guarantees employees who work at most religious institutions coverage on contraception and other preventative services through their health insurance. There is an exemption for churches and other houses of worship, as well as church-controlled organizations, according to Health and Human Services.

"It is a very serious issue: We're here to stand up for the women of America who deserve to have access to free preventative care through their health insurance, and we want to thank President Obama for making that possible," said Boxer. "It's medicine - and women deserve their medicine."

Boxer also said she had spoken recently to Obama senior campaign adviser David Axelrod, and that despite recent reports that the administration might be open to a compromise on the issue, Axelrod told her the White House "absolutely stands behind" providing women access to free contraceptive health care.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., accused Republicans of exploiting Republican ideology to attack women's health, and called for an end to what he described as the "male-igarchy."

"Republican politicians need to stop meddling in the lives and the health of women in our country, and it's time to tell those Republicans, mind your own business," he said.

While Republicans argue that the new rule infringes on religious freedom, Democrats counter that no person is being forced to exert her right to use birth control, and have emphasized that churches and other similar institutions are among those who are exempt. Democrats are also quick to point out that 99 percent of women, and up to 98 percent of Catholic women, have used birth control at some point in their lives, according to two separate polls by the Guttmacher Institute.

"We want to make sure that the religious freedom of all Americans is protected and that means the women who work for institutions which serve the general public," Boxer said.

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 08: U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) (2nd L) speaks as (L-R) Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) listen during a news conference on contraceptive coverage February 8, 2012 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

/ Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Among those who would be affected by the new rule are those who work at parochial universities and hospitals.

In remarks on the House floor Wednesday, House Speaker John Boehner demanded a reversal of the rule, and threatened to otherwise use legislative action to overturn the decision.

"My colleagues in recent days Americans of every faith and political persuasion have mobilized in an objection to a rule put forward by the Obama administration that constitutes an unambiguous attack on religious freedom in our country," Boehner said. "This rule would require faith-based employers, including Catholic charities, schools, universities and hospitals, to provide services they believe are immoral."

He added: "In imposing this requirement the federal government has drifted dangerously beyond its constitutional boundaries encroaching on religious freedom in a manner that affects millions of Americans and harms some of our nation's most vital institutions."

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney on Wednesday said Mr. Obama was focused on "the putting in place the right policies for women across the country" and "finding a balance that is sensitive to the concerns expressed by some religious groups."

Boxer, meanwhile, vowed that she and similar-minded lawmakers would do whatever it took to make sure the new ruling stayed in place.

"This is a health benefit and everyone has a right to their view on it, but at the end of the day, we're here to say, we support the right of women in this country to have access to birth control through their insurance policies and anyone who stands in the way is going to have to deal with us."

[tashekor]

I would like to request that in future CBS refer to Republicans as 'Reps' in their headlines.

[frankkburns]

My own religious conviction is that God punishes us with disease and rewards us with good health, and that it is a sin to ever try to intervene in his will medically.
I'm therefore stripping practically everything out of my employees' policies. If I can't, I won't be able to sleep nights, because I would have a guilty conscience imagining to what unnatural ends they might choose to apply their insurance, and of course I can't be stopped from stripping out those policies, because my Republican friends are backing me on this, since it is a matter of my own religious freedom.
Plus, I save a lot on the health premiums I pay to cover my work force, since their pay package basically only includes chiropractic care and homeopathy, which don't offend my religious scruples because I deem them entirely ineffective.

[happypagan]

Hey Iwakuni5- no insult or argument intended here, but ask yourself the simple question "if I'm dead, meaning no longer alive, then how can I go anywhere?"

In classical Christian literature "Hell" is simply the absence of God's light or presence. Hell is being removed from God. So, if i don't believe in that particular version of god, ort if I don't believe in god at all, then why should I care?

[happypagan]

Please provide examples of "euthanasia groups like the Nazis."

[happypagan]

Uhhh..sorry, but the housing and financial abuses that directly led to the current economic problem all occured on GWB's watch, not Obama's. Ditto with starting a two front war under false pretenses (remember Iraq's WMDs?) - that jammed our national debt through the roof. Obama inherited all of that. Blaming him is like getting trashed and wrecking your car, then blaming the mechanic for causing the accident in the first place.

[noloyalisti]

Don't these ignorant conservatives realize that we passed a NATIONAL health care plan that requires everyone to follow the same rules. Including Jews, Muslims, Hindus and even Christians? It's the law of the land, either accept it or leave.

Why are we even debating something so stupid and obvious?

[happypagan]

Its a long list, so I'll just stick to catholicism.

Lets start with most recent history - the catholic church's cover up of wide spread sexual abuse by priests and their absolute refusal to come clean or do anythig significant about it.

Next..Catholic "humanitarian aid" given in third world contries under conditions that recipients convert, have their children baptised, or at the very least, attend services. This last happens here in the US at just about every mission that serves the homeless.

Next...the Catholic Church demanding that its followers neither have abortions or use any kind of contraception. The planet is over crowded, we are straining our natural resources to the breaking point and this is all that these "spiritual advisors" can offer? What provisions does the church make to care for all of these unwanted children?

Next - cold blooded murder and torture on a long and hellish scale. Go read history. Its all written down.

Next - claiming that the Bible constitutes the word of god. The bible as we know it was put together by a comittee. That is the long and short of it. Significant parts of scripture have been excluded. So...maybe half the Word, a quarter of the Word???

Next - Insistence by Catholic leaders that women are second class citizens who should not be allowed to care for thier own bodies as they see fit. This goes back to the reproductive example mentioned earlier but is worth calling out separately.

Brainwashing little kids. This is going on now. Go watch the movie Jesus Camp to see what I'm talking about.

Are these good enough or shall I keep going? Here's one more - even the name Catholic smacks of arrogance. "Catholic" means universal..as in "one Catholic and Apostolic Church..." - recognize that? One size fits all?

[happypagan]

Please understand that I do not dispute an individual's right to believe what he or she wants to believe. Nor do I dispute the assertion that government should not demand that anyone do or live in such a way that either violates or may violate their ethics or moral codes (providing of course that individuals "first do no harm." What I do oppose is the growing assertion among Christian political activists that they have some moral obligation and right to force their views on the rest of the population.

[nancy_naive]

Republicans don't want mandated healthcare insurance.
Democrats don't want voter ID.

Voter ID laws where the only valid ID is a Healthcare Insurance card.

Simple, elegant, and wrong.

[Smokey75]

The funny thing about this conversation with trouti is I could give two ***** about religions. But I do believe everyone has rights not just the people I agree with. You can't get trouti admit that he believes the only entities that should have rights are the ones he agrees with.

That is why he believes unions should be free to spend as much as they want to buy elections but says the rich and corporations should be limited. Trouti is for selective rights I am for rights for everyone no matter their beliefs.

[Smokey75]

by troutfishman2 February 9, 2012 2:45 PM EST
Unions are about jobs, pay, and benefits.

============================================================================================================================================

Oh I see so when it is something you think is right then you give rights to people but since you don't believe in religion you think they have no rights and should do exactly as President Hussein says?

It is amazing you think giving workers the right to work where ever they choose without fear of being forced to join a union is taking away rights. (Which is all right to work does). Yet forcing a religion to provide a benefit at their cost that goes against their religious believes isn't taking rights away.

Man you have a warped sense of what rights are and freedoms are?