GOP Tries to Add Contraception Repeal Language to Transportation Bill
EmailSenate Republicans today tried to put language that would repeal the Obama administration’s mandate that religious entities cover contraception into the non-related highway bill that’s currently pending on the Senate floor.
The move was intercepted by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who blocked the contraception-repeal amendment being called for by Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., calling it “senseless.”
”I appreciate the Republicans’ opportunity to never lose an opportunity to mess up a good piece of legislation,” Reid said sarcastically. “Let’s do the banking part of this bill. Let’s do the finance part of this bill. Let’s do the commerce part of this bill. But to show how the Republicans never lose an opportunity to mess up a good piece of legislation, listen to this: They’re talking about 1st amendment rights, the Constitution.”
Reid blocked the repeal language from being considered with the other germane amendments to the transportation bill, infuriating Republicans who have been calling for President Obama to reverse his decision on the contraception mandate.
“They won’t allow those of us who are sworn to uphold the U.S. Constitution to even offer an amendment that says we believe in our 1st amendment right to religious freedom,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “This is a day I was not inclined to think I would ever see. I’ve spent a lot of time in my life defending the 1st amendment, but I never thought I’d see a day when the elected representatives of the people of this country would be blocked by a majority party in Congress to even express their support for it regardless of the ultimate outcome.”
Reid said the rule on the contraception mandate has not been made final by the White House yet – so everyone should sit tight.
“Let’s wait until there’s at least a rule that we can talk about,” Reid said. “Everybody should calm down. Let’s see what transpires. So let’s deal until there’s a final rule on this. Let’s deal with the issue before us.”
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Can you hear the sound of SILENCE?
Hello, Darkness, my old friend. Republicans sit silent again. A lawyer with a good case, pounds the law. One with a shaky case, pounds the facts. And if your case is a loser, POUND THE TABLE. Republicans are pounding the political table on the contraceptive issue; hoping that the Noise will distract voters’ attention away from the payroll tax cut extension discussion. 160 million Americans will get $40 less per paycheck after March 1st if it works. Bang-bang-bang! People talking without speaking. People hearing without listening. The silence is deafening.
Posted by: I-Vote | February 9, 2012, 8:00 pm 8:00 pm
If it is a stunt that will help these corporate owned republicans backed by the Fox spewers they will go for this of course. When are they ever honest or decent? Be against women, be against contraception, be against sanity, be against right for our country. Amazing the lies and hate thrown around by the GOP. Never the truth, never what will help the country, never what will be important for the middle class and working poor. No jobs bills, no plans to help America. Just plenty for the greedy and corrupt.
Posted by: Vicki | February 9, 2012, 9:12 pm 9:12 pm
If they feel so strongly about it, then write a separate bill confronting it. Don’t try to sneak it into the back pages of another totally unrelated bill. I suppose they were just assuming it was safe to do it that way since Congress is notorious for never actually reading the bills they pass! Glad Harry Reid caught it this time. But I wouldn’t put it past them to try again. Sneaking around dishonestly seems to be their modus operandi.
Posted by: Joyce | February 9, 2012, 10:26 pm 10:26 pm
What’s wrong with these people? Why don’t they worry about first order problems and not get distracted with trivial matters like this? I think this is a classic example of why so many voters have such a low approval rating for members of Congress, and I also think it’s a major reason why the GOP is going to get hit with an avalanche in the general election. When you run a successful business, you always focus on high priority items first, because there’s never enough time to get everything done that you’d like to accomplish. These schmendriks don’t understand such a basic rule of being a successful manager. I think they’re beyond redemption, and that there’s a good possibility we will see a complete revamping of the Republican Party in 2013, so that they don’t become a rump party.
Posted by: excfo | February 10, 2012, 1:12 am 1:12 am
I am an ex Catholic. It’s interesting that the GOP is pandering to the Princes of the Church. My experience at the pastoral level has taught me that most American Catholics don’t listen to or follow the contraception rules laid down by the old men who constitute the ruling body of the Church. If there was ever a tempest in a teapot, this is it – a lot of noise signifying nothing. And then, why is the GOP screwing around with a second order topic like this? Why aren’t they focusing on America’s real problems? I think it’s because they are terminally stupid – sort of like George W and his belief that he could pull the wool over everybody’s eyes by renaming TORTURE as “enhanced interrogation”. It’s amazing. I’ve been voting for over 50 years, most of it as a Republican, but not anymore. This is the worst campaign by either party that I have ever seen, and I think the voters are going to bury most Republican candidates, and the House will revert to the Democrats. Then, I think the Republican Party is going to change its entire wing-nut approach and move towards the center, to avoid becoming a rump party. The path that they’re on will marginalize them into irrelevance, unless they reorganize and refocus. Think about it; Dwight Eisenhower who was the most successful Republican President of the 20th century, could not get nominated today as a GOP candidate. That says a lot to me. I’m not even sure that Ronald Reagan could get nominated today, because he had been the president of the Actor’s Union.
Posted by: excfo | February 10, 2012, 1:41 am 1:41 am
Obama and the Democrats have proven they are untrustworthy!! It is time to put the adults back in charge of the country. We have Michelle Obama with her on Ellen and doing push ups , then having a tug of war with Jimmy Fallon in the WHITE HOUSE . Do these people think this is a game while the rest of us are suffering?? WOW are Democrats/Independents really that gullible??
Posted by: whathappened08 | February 10, 2012, 8:06 am 8:06 am
Once again Republicans know they will not win with a separate clean bill about the topic at hand so they try to slip it into something with absolutely no connection. If they are so sure of victory, let them offer a clean bill AND require 60 votes to pass, just as they have done for the last 3 years!! No 60 voters, no pass.
WHATHAPPENED08 – those appearances were to promote the play60 Michelle Obama has been working on for a year- to cut childhood obesity and get kids moving 60 minutes every day for better health. She is showing that she not only talks the talk, but walks the walk. Get on topic now please!
Posted by: pksk531 | February 10, 2012, 8:42 am 8:42 am
PKSK531 said “get on topic now please!”—–Oh ok so should we discuss how Obama/Democrats want to violate the Establishment Clause of the Constitution?? You know that pesky little amendment that was intentionally written to secure the free exercise of religion from interference or domination by the state as well as to prevent the establishment of a state religion?? Should we try to decimate yet another one of our freedoms under the pretense of protecting women’s health?? Just remember my little friend that the Constitution protects all of us from an overreaching power grabbing government such as the one Obama is “ruling” over.
Posted by: whathappened08 | February 10, 2012, 9:23 am 9:23 am
This mandate does NOT violate the 1st amendment because it is not going after the CHURCH. The Church is exempt. What it does is it levels the playing field by telling BUSINESSES run by the church that they have to do the same as all of the other businesses that receive Federal Dollars. Not everyone at these Hospitals, Universities, is a Catholic. These women should have the same options as anyone else. THIS IS AN OPTION. If the woman does not want it, she just has to check the box. Considering 98% of Catholic women use birth control – not just for contraception, but other medical reasons, good bet a lot of women are waiting on this one. Now if we are going to discuss “overreaching power grabbing government’ lets talk Patriot Act.
Posted by: pksk531 | February 10, 2012, 9:51 am 9:51 am