Elizabeth Warren about the Blunt amendment - Thank you!!

[Mass]

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/02/15/425326/democrat-women-slam-gops-radical-contraception-amendment-claim-it-opens-door-to-discrimination/?mobile=nc
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Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren told the Washington Post’s Greg Sargent that amendment would permit insurers or employers to discriminate against women:...

“This is an extreme attack on every one of us,” Warren said. “It opens the door to outright discrimination. It would let insurance companies and corporations cut off pregnant women, overweight guys, older Americans, or anyone — because some executive claims it’s part of his moral code. Maybe that wouldn’t happen, but I don’t want to take the chance.”


Thank you. This is what I want to hear, not some speech about finding a way to accommodate freedom of religion and right of women. What bothers me is that there seems to be a clear delimitation between men and women on how strong they want to go on this, and I am not talking about the GOP here, but some solidly progressive Democrats who are strong supporters of women's rights.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. About time somebody pointed out how stupid that amendment is!

[sufrommich]

2. I can't wait to call her Sen. Warren. nt

[ProSense]

3. Think Progress

Democratic Women Slam GOP’s Radical Contraception Amendment, Claim It ‘Opens Door To Discrimination’

By Igor Volsky


High-profile Democratic women are hitting back against the GOP’s opposition to the Obama administration’s new rule requiring insurers and employers to offer contraception in their health care benefit plans. Obama exempts houses of worship and nonprofits that primarily employ people of the same faith from covering birth control, while religiously affiliated hospitals and colleges can also eschew the benefit. Their employees would obtain the coverage — at no additional cost sharing — directly from the insurer.

Today, the Senate will hold a vote on a Republican substitute introduced by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), which would allow any and all insurers and employers to deny their employees health benefits and services required by federal law based on their personal religious or moral objections. The measure has 37 co-sponsors — including the GOP leadership, women Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski (AK), Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX), Kelly Ayotte (NH), Democrat Ben Nelson (NE), and Republican Scott Brown (MA). Brown has supported expansive conscience protections for religious organizations throughout his legislative career, but voted for a tougher contraception mandate as a Massachusetts state representative in 2002 and approved of a law requiring all hospitals — including Catholic institutions — to provide emergency contraception to rape victims in 2005.

After defending Obama’s rule last year, Democrats are now on the offensive. Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) have derided Blunt’s measure as “extreme” and “dangerous,” claiming that “It puts politics between women and their healthcare.” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) warned, “This would gut the protections that were established in the Affordable Care Act and open a Pandora’s box that allows employers to deny coverage for virtually anything they might object to” and yesterday, Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren told the Washington Post’s Greg Sargent that amendment would permit insurers or employers to discriminate against women:

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http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/02/15/425326/democrat-women-slam-gops-radical-contraception-amendment-claim-it-opens-door-to-discrimination/

[spooky3]

4. Does anyone else think it would be declared unconstitutional or in vi

violation of existing civil rights laws?