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Republican Women Senators Breaking Ranks With Party, Come Out In Favor Of Obama Contraception Rule
By Igor Volsky on Feb 13, 2012 at 12:16 pm
While GOP senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has pledged to fight the Obamas administrations modified regulation requiring health insurers and busnisses to offer contraception coverage without additional cost sharing, the revised rule appears to have won over two of the five Republican women senators.
Sens. Olympia Snowe (ME) and Susan Collins (ME) both of whom have sponsored legislation requiring insurers to offer contraception benefits in all health plans are in favor of the new compromise, which would allow religiously affiliated colleges, universities, and hospitals to avoid providing birth control. Their employees will still receive contraception coverage at no additional cost sharing directly from the insurer:
While I will carefully review the details of the presidents revised proposal, it appears to be a step in the right direction, Collins said in a statement. The administrations original plan was deeply flawed and clearly would have posed a threat to religious freedom. It presented the Catholic Church with its wide-ranging social, educational, and health care services, and many other faith-based organizations, with an impossible choice between violating their religious beliefs or violating federal regulations. The administration has finally listened to the concerns raised by many and appears to be seeking to avoid the threat to religious liberties posed by its original plan.
more...
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/02/13/423946/republican-women-senators-breaking-ranks-with-party-come-out-in-favor-of-obama-contraception-rule/
1ProudAtheist
(346 posts)of all women, and both female US Senators are in favor of the President's contraception plan. Who exactly is it that is opposed to it?
MarkCharles
(2,261 posts)supposedly celibate Catholic leaders. (there are no women in leadership roles in the Catholic church).
Bandit
(21,475 posts)GoCubsGo
(32,088 posts)I have a feeling she might be, and Hutchinson, too. I saw elsewhere that the twit from NH won't join them. Sad.
pamela
(3,469 posts)I'd much rather hear what the old, white guys think about this issue. In fact, I was thinking that the next production of "The Vagina Monologues" should be an all-male production.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)likely be problematic for Mitt Romney.
malaise
(269,157 posts)Rec
Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)Tx4obama
(36,974 posts)From the link in the OP...
Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), who led the GOPs opposition to the original rule, has yet to issue a statement on the measure and did not respond to ThinkProgress query about her position. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) also did not respond. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) co-sponsored a 1999 bill requiring contraception equity in insurance coverage and has not yet to weigh in on the current debate.
UPDATE:
Ayotte tells the Washington Posts Greg Sargent that she still opposes Obamas proposal:
The presidents proposal leaves religious institutions vulnerable to federal coercion. This debate has always been about religious freedom. As I fight for a full repeal of Obamacare, I will continue to push for a legislative solution that protects conscience rights.
So far only Ayotte (of the five GOP female senators) is siding with the male GOPers.
My prediction is that IF Murkowski were to say something she will side with Collins and Snowe (she normally come out on the correct side regarding women's issues)
And as far as Hutchinson she will probably not say anything one way or the other.