Birth Control Amendment 'Dangerous,' Obama Spokesman Says

[Tx4obama]

WASHINGTON -- Unbowed by the dust-up from last week’s contraception debate, the Obama administration has jumped feet-first into the next round.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, in a statement to The Huffington Post, weighed in heavily against a toughly-worded measure being considered in the Senate that would greatly restrict women's access to critical health care services.

"Let's be clear about what's at stake," said Carney. "The proposal being considered in the Senate applies to all employers -- not just religious employers. And it isn't limited to contraception. Any employer could restrict access to any service they say they object to. That is dangerous and it is wrong. Decisions about medical care should be made by a woman and her doctor, not a woman and her boss.”

The measure, proposed by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) would amend the Affordable Care Act to allow any employer to exclude any health service coverage, no matter how critical or basic, by claiming that it violates their religious or moral convictions. Moreover, according to the National Women's Law Center, the amendment would remove critical non-discrimination protections from the Affordable Care Act. For instance, an insurer could deny maternity care coverage to a same-sex couple, an interracial couple or a single woman for religious or moral reasons.

<SNIP>

Full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/14/birth-control-obama_n_1277587.html

[1620rock]

1. Sanity has left the building...

[Scootaloo]

2. That's brain-shattering

That's their idea? THAT is what these... people are trying to amend the act with? THAT?!?!

Even I wonder if they can truly be that stupid

[MDonisland]

24. Oh Yeah

Just when you thought, having paid even the slightest attention to the deluge of inanities promulgated by primary candidates, that Republicans couldn't get any more stupid, the Blunt Amendment comes along to prove, beyond any doubt, that the depth to which the collective GOP IQ could plummet is bottomless.

This brilliant bit of legislation would allow any employer to reject insurance coverage for all employees for virtually any condition on the basis of morality. It would also allow insurance plans to eliminate coverage for entire groups, if anyone in the group morally objects to some coverage.

You have to pity the authors and supporters of the amendment. Their myopic Anti-Obama obsession, compelling them to oppose anything and everything even tangentially associated with the president, renders them incapable of seeing beyond their own stunted worldview. Clearly they suffer from the age-old affliction of the religious - the misbegotten notion that the religious, and in this case particularly, only the religious who believe "exactly" as they do, have an exclusive claim on morality.

One can almost hope for the passage of this abomination, if only to witness the pandemonium in the halls of congress when panicked palpitating constituents begin calling after their vegan employer cuts coverage for heart health care on the ethical grounds that diseases of gluttony result from the immoral practice of eating meat and dairy. And the fat checks from the pharmaceutical lobby stop rolling in when plans across the country drop virtually all coverage of prescriptions because a member of PETA in the group conscientiously objects to coverage of anything that has undergone animal testing. And that's just the beginning of the nightmare.

Soon the lunatic fringe will be weighing in, rejecting insurance coverage for anything, in favor of prayer.

Perhaps I judged too soon. Maybe they're smarter than I thought. The only possible explanation for this amendment is an intent to destroy the insurance industry entirely, leaving only the very wealthy the ability to afford any health care at all.

[Liberty Belle]

3. So if your employer doesn't believe in blood transfusions, guys, you just die.

How about circumcisions? Or sterilizations? I'm sure some religions object to those practices, too. Heck, there are some who don't believe in medical treatments, period -- remember the parents who let their child die rather than have cancer treatments? What if they owned a business, and wanted to make that decision for everyone who worked for them, too?

This is the absolute definition of insanity.

[LiberalFighter]

18. Those people should be on the other end of the blood transfusion needle

and dying because the refusal will result in their death.

[global1]

19. So Is The Employer The New "Death Panel"?........

Sounds to me that this is what the Repugs are pushing for.

[Skittles]

4. CORRECT

[Craigtee3030]

5. Testing the limits of Irony...

Little Johnny Boner tells the Tea Bagging Congressmen to stop being irrational...on the danger day that he moves this particular Amendment forward.

Go figure. Caucus Interruptus - Part Douche! Thoughts at 3 A.M. http://thoughtsatthreeam.blogspot.com/?spref=tw

[gordianot]

6. Considering the source Roy Blunt no surprise.

What does surprise me is that he he wants to ammend the Affordable Care Act instead of just outright repealing it. Mr. Blunt is looking for a Democrat more stupid than himself, given Mr. Blunt"s current condition that is a tall order.

[Vincardog]

7. Why don't the Democrats add an amendment that any limit on Women's BC be met with a limit on Viagra?

[LiberalFighter]

20. I'm wondering what would have the greatest impact and uproar...

How about for every woman that gets an unwanted pregnancy because they didn't have female birth control the man responsible for the pregnancy receives a vasectomy. And every man that rapes a woman they receive a mandatory vasectomy regardless of whether the woman becomes pregnant. If a man rapes a woman after they have been sterilized as an additional sentence one of their male child or a brother is also sterilized.

[magical thyme]

8. they must really want to lose

that's the only reasonable response to their behavior. The want to lose.

I think they intend to tank the economy, lose the election, tank the economy further, blame it on the N____ and come back with Jeb or someone in '16.

The best thing to do is, however unhappy you are with O, at least vote in progressives in every possible spot in congress, every possible governor spot, every local election possible. Down to dog officer, poop patrol, whatever.

Of course, another good response would be to give them their way and let employers off the hook 100%. And then make needed healthcare available via single payer. Upgrade all those community health centers to full service providers as part of the stimulus package, too.

[Iliyah]

9. My questions is

WHERE ARE THE JOBS? Shit these goppers spew talking points about issues that nothing help fellow Americans. They are some SEVERELY sick ass politicians. Hope that they lose in the house and the senate gains for Dems.

[DebJ]

10. I am shaking I am so infuriated. Just called

both of my Senators, and scumbag Toomey is a cosponsor, plus my Rep in the House,
and let them know how I feel and every woman I know feels, and that we are ready
to attack in return and will be awaiting their vote.

The calls only inflamed my anger, so I called Blunt's office too, where the person answering
the phone was not trained to first get your name and address. I asked when he is up for
re-election, and then promised to fund his rival no matter who they are. I told her that
he has no right to take away my rights to choose my own health care, and force me to live
by the religious tenets of my employer.

On edit: I also told each of them that my great-great grandmother and great-grandmother both
died in childbirth, after 9 and 16 births each, their uteruses just exploded, and my family is still
feeling the ramifications of the lives of their orphaned children generations later...all because
contraception was not available in those days.

[Swede Atlanta]

11. Well guess what....

We, as the taxpayers that fund the government (well in addition to all those holding U.S. debt) find it immoral to provide health care coverage to any old fat white men from Missouri. So we should be able to tell the government to immediately stop his health care coverage.

That is exactly how absurd this is. I will cut religious institutions (i.e. churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, etc.) some slack because their stated purpose is for the practice/observance of some form of spiritual belief system.

But I do not think the same lee-way should be granted to institutions that are extensions of religious organizations or, as in the immediate case, any other employer. Hospitals, charities, etc. that are affiliated with religious institutions are not, by purpose, there for the purpose of practicing/observing some spiritual beliefs. They are there because, as an extension of a religious institution's beliefs, they have undertaken to fund and offer certain types of charitable and other services to society. The fact the hospital, charity, etc. is not there for the purpose of practicing religion makes them subject to the same rules that should apply to any other business.

This amendment will go nowhere and if the repukkkes think this will buy them votes I suggest for every vote of a fat, old, uneducated, toothless white guy in Mississippi (who was going to vote R cuz his pastor told him to anyway), they will lose 2-3 votes among women and Independents. This is a losing proposition for the Republicans and even if it doesn't pass can be used by Democrats as an example of the extreme position of the republic party.

[Gman]

12. Is the GOP nuts? Go ahead! Run on this in November

they're putting a political gun to their head. This is beyond real.

They're not even lying about it like they always do then win an election and do it anyway. Mind boggling.

[Auntie Bush]

13. Roy Blunt proposed that? Give the man 3 stars! Blunt is an angel!

What more could he do to help Obama remain in the W.H.?
Wish I had 3 hearts to give him.
\Not to worry! It will never pass the senate. It will just further ingrain the idea Rethugs are against women and Obama is for women and the economy.

[Warren Stupidity]

14. Harry Reid to the Rescue!

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid initially blocked Blunt's amendment on Thursday, calling it "senseless." But on Tuesday he agreed to allow a vote.

"This is a terrible vote for them," said a Senate Democratic aide, explaining why Reid relented. "We are thrilled at the prospect about spending as much time as possible talking about this vote. They are caught between their base and a hard place."

While the Senate has a Democratic majority, a handful of moderate Democrats initially opposed the Obama administration's birth control rule and demanded that it be repealed. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) co-sponsored the Blunt amendment with 19 Republicans, including moderate Scott Brown (R-Mass.). The number of GOP sponsors may grow.

Some Democrats who initially opposed the birth control rule, including Sen. Joe Manchin, of West Virginia, and Sen. Bob Casey, of Pennsylvania, have not commented on Obama's revised decision or indicated how they will vote on Blunt's amendment. Neither senator responded to calls for comment. Other Democrats were outspoken in their concerns about the reach of the amendment's language.

Good old Harry. Always playing with matches. What could possibly go wrong?

[Kber]

17. He just called the GOP base "a rock"

an in "as dumb as a...".

[RC]

15. My message to Roy Blunt

"The measure, proposed by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) would amend the Affordable Care Act to allow any employer to exclude any health service coverage, no matter how critical or basic, by claiming that it violates their religious or moral convictions. Moreover, according to the National Women's Law Center, the amendment would remove critical non-discrimination protections from the Affordable Care Act. For instance, an insurer could deny maternity care coverage to a same-sex couple, an interracial couple or a single woman for religious or moral reasons."


You proposed that? Give the man 3 stars! You are an angel!
What more could you do to help Obama remain in the White House?

We don't need to worry though, your amendment will never pass the Senate. It will just further ingrain the idea Rethugs are against women and Obama is for women and the economy.

You must be getting to retire, correct? No way will this help you get reelected.

You didn't have a Topic of 'Stupidity', so I picked another topic that fits: 'Civil Rights'

Link to site to give Roy Blunt some advice-
http://blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-roy

[louis-t]

16. "Decisions about medical care..."

Isn't this the same argument repugs used over health care reform? Weren't they saying 'Obamacare' puts decision-maiking in the hands of the government? (It doesn't).

[AlbertCat]

21. Of course the real question is...

.... exactly why is your health care all tangled up in your employment and employer?

If everybody had access to the same health care... Medicare for everyone...

But ... never mind.

And can't you hear it? "Why should my tax dollars go to such-and-such type of health care???"

To which the answer is, why should my tax dollars go to faith based anything. Why should churches be tax exempt. When churches themselves pay taxes, then they can complain.

[NeonDog]

22. It all about jobsssss...elect RepubliCONs so they can save the economy

[tfrey1225]

23. This is why

I hate the GOP. I'm actually moderately fiscally conservative and I would like everyone's taxes to be as low as possible and still fund the government but I could never ever join that gang of crazies in the Republican party. The Republican party is just off their collective rocker. There's not a shred of sanity left in that party. Reasonable moderates are being run out of the party. A respectable and honest man like Dwight Eisenhower could never run and win in the modern day Republican party.