The U.S. Senate is expected to vote tomorrow on the radical Blunt Amendment, which would allow any employer to deny any essential or preventative health care benefit for religious or moral reasons.
Conservatives want to take away affordable access to birth control and put your boss in your bedroom and in charge of your most personal health care decisions. But it goes way beyond contraception.
The legislation is so extreme that, for example, if your boss believed in healing exclusively through the power of prayer, he could have sufficient legal grounds to deny you coverage for various medical conditions.
Some big name Republicans, like Maine's Olympia Snowe, are running away from the legislation.
In an interview with NBC's Andrea Mitchell, Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, explains her opposition to the Blunt Amendment.
"With respect to the Blunt amendment, I think it's much broader than I could support," Snowe told MSNBC today on Andrea Mitchell Reports.
GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said he opposed Blunt, but minutes after his answer was broadcast, the Romney campaign was insisted he was confused and actually backs the bill (or was it another flip-flop?).
As expected, Democrats oppose the bill, dismissing it as extreme:
Sen. Barbara Boxer lashes out at the Republican's vote Thursday to defeat the White House compromise on birth control – a vote that could backfire for Republicans.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., shares her thoughts on the upcoming vote on the Blunt Amendment, which would overturn President Barack Obama's mandate that employers or insurance companies provide women access to contraception in their health plans.
The Senate is debating the details of the Blunt Amendment, a proposal to repeal President Obama's contraception coverage mandate. The NOW panelists discuss how the GOP is taking the contraception debate a step further, but is it to their advantage?
Ed will have a lot more to say on this issue tonight on The Ed Show at 8pET on MSNBC with Ayanna Pressley is a Boston City Council Member and the Chair of the Committee on Women & Healthy Communities.
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Kill the bill Dems, then make it an issue during the elections and show the American people what weasels the teabaggers are.
I worked all my life for either companies or schools that had an insurance plan that I paid for. It just made insurance more affordable to have as a group. It also insured the companies that we stayed heather. Companies use to take care of their employees. Insurance companies just want the bottom line......they are not really in the business for your health any more.
Thankful Mom, when you have a multi billion dollar industry and the entire reichwingnut party in your back pocket, this is the end result.
Amen Thankful Mom, everyone puts into an insurance plan. I understand wanting to separate health care from the employer but I also see the other side-don't employers want healthy employees?
apparantly the teabaggers think it is acceptable to fund medication so men can "perform" but it is inappropriate to provide medication for women to help withhealth issues/birth control. what's next -- banning the sale/use of condoms?nuts like the current "candidates" in the gop want to put women's rights back to the 1500's. An employer should not have the right to determine what insurance benefits an employee can receive. prevention of health problems is less expensive, more responsible, is the right thing to do but the gop doesn't see it this way! time to give the gop their pink slips.
At least she voted against the bill. They said she was reasonable to work with. She always worked across the aisle.
So now Romney is confused?
We already had confused Presidents in Reagan and Bush Jr.
I think this Country has suffered enough from flip-flopping and/or confused leaders.
Don't forget the Congressional and State races in November!
It seems some of republican friends are afraid that the Occupy will receive some support from Ben and Jerrys.
Now thats great! I love there Ice Cream and they could make a real diffrence.
http://cornhusker4palin.newsvine.com/_news/2012/02/29/10536349-occupy-goes-corporate
Had trouble getting this posted for the above
read that, tm. i didn't know that they had such a political stand. guess i have to buy ben & jerrys too.
Romney flip and flopped in Ohio today. This man is unbelievable! I just signed a petition protesting BLUNTS outrageous and what I feel is a discriminatory bill ! No Politician should control the lives of workers from Washington !! If you get the chance tell your senator to vote NO! on this bill that is BLUNTLY WRONG!!!!
Pam: Just signed the petition. Thank you.
Heard two Dems are voting for it, blue dog dems I reckon. If anyone finds out who they are please post it.
think the new guy from WV is one of them.
you probably know this already, john.
ben nelson
joe manchin
bob casey
the blue dogs.
What a surprise suzette.
The Blunt Amendment...you know that's actually a remarkably appropriate name for this in more ways than one because not only does this take a wild swing with a baseball bat at a surgical problem(the consideration of conscience in health care+business)...and quite possibly was dreamed up after smoking...not inhaling of course....a blunt........
If this incredibly broad amendment to the transportation bill passes you make wake up on monday or whenever it would take affect with millions of people not having anymore health insurance because their employer has "beliefs"(bottom lines) that go against it. What I find to be the most entertaining is that no one on the GOP side seems to be able to realize that the language of the amendment in so broad it makes it a radical proposal....they just chant about how religious and other employers shouldn't have to cover birth control if they don't want to which of course no one on the left is really all that against, what folks are scared by is that this would allow any employer to deny health insurance to its employees no matter what for any reason...any reason...
Another example that the far right falls in line like little soldiers
Like mindless trolls, I'd say.
So, if I have a moral objection to whatever law, does that give me the right to do away with it and ignore it? What the hell is that crap? How about if a guy starts the church of the "Holy Heroin Needle"... does that give him the right to shoot heroin? Who says what's religion and what's not? What's morality and what's not? Christian values decide that? What about Muslim values or Jewish values or "church of the holy needle" values?
As asinine as that is, this is yet another attempt by the GOP to install a damned theocracy. HELL NO!
Women have rights, they're not servants or things you own. If the Evangelicals don't like it they can go look for their promised land in the Cayman islands and maybe take Romney with them so he can have his 20 wives and count his money while at it!!!
Range if you weren't so busy being indoctrinated by the liberal lamestream media you'd know that there is only one religion on Earth; christianity. Duh....that's why the founding fathers after kindly asking the natives for permission to live on their land established America to be a nation where all men could come to have the freedom to live exclusively under christian law whether they want to or not.
Hindu-ists and jews or muslimists have the right to live under our system of law that this country was founded upon as created by our lord and savior Ronald Reagan.
That's why we need to support the GOP in their effort to stop the government from forcing employers to give women rights that violate their religious beliefs. What's next forcing people like Marcus Bachmann into gay marriages? Where does it end? A world where people of all alleged faiths or deviant sexual lifestyle choices are equal?
*I, the author do not support the content of this message, have a laugh it won't kill you.*
A bridge too far. The straw that broke the camel's back. Both of these sayings describe Blount and his cohorts. They have gone way to the right and are about to go over the cliff. Enough man vs. woman actions. Let's hope that the 2012 elections will help us to bring mature adults to the Senate and House to deal with adult issues. COMPROMISE IS NOT WRONG. Democracy demands such in order to function to the benefit of all not a select few wealthy libertarians and most Americans expect nothing less. Boehner, Cantor, MCConnell need to act as such. Plus the constitution declares the separation of church and state......
With the Blunt Amendment, I think Sarah Palin's going to finally get her "death panels"... from her OWN party!
The GOP can not seperate church from state that is why they let corporations be people to.
Get rid of their tax exempt status then.
I think that if any employer wants to deny any kind of coverage for religous or moral reasons, then they themselves should be denied the benefit of those same services if (when) they need them.
I didn't figure I would see this headline on the Ed Show- but can any of you Team Obamaites explain how you is embracing the plan for the Keystone pipeline to be partially built- from both ends? Going north to Cushing OK to meet up with an existing line from Canada?
I is not embracing anything Obama, pipeline or otherwise. I'm also not embracing the blunt amendment aka the subject of this thread
yeah- off topic- but Ed chooses not to put flip flopping by Obama on the topic list. Therefore- if you want to discuss it, you are forced to go off topic. I am curious, though, why all of a sudden is it important to you to stay on topic. Was I the first one to ever stray?
Up above- it seems Kathe and Mom both went astray- you should jump them for that.
Yes but Kathe and Mom didn't make a poorly written assumption of what my opinion would be. Like I've said before the president doesn't have much say or rather shouldn't have much say. The states should have more influence on what runs through their state ie the pipeline. However this is never about hate of fossil fuels this is about little to know real regulations and consequences for th big oil screw ups....if they don't end up screwing up important things like a major aquifer then great but I highly doubt that this will be the case
I wonder if the GOP will continue to claim drill baby drill makes a difference after they drill and our prices don't go down...I'm all for pricing going down but I don't see that happening either
Silly CC- I didn't make any prediction about what your thoughts would be. But I did figure that some Obamaite out there would try to defend his newest position on the Keystone Pipeline concept, while still defending his previous position.
Guess we will never know if more drilling will work or not.
Domestic oil drilling and production is up and our prices are also following the same trend ie going up. Clearly the right wing drill baby drill has failed baby failed
Maybe domestic oil drilling isn't up enough? House sales are up as well. Just not enough.
Maybe the solution is another 1/2 Billion$ for another solar company- oops- that just failed as well. See Abound Solar- and be sure to listen to Obama touting it on his radio show- 2,000 shovel ready construction jobs followed by 1500 full time jobs.
As soon as the election is over, Obama will clear the Keystone Pipeline project- Delay in jobs and oil flow- but he won't be shunned by environmentalists in the election.
And the price will likely continue to raise as a result or maybe not.....still doubtful that it will be coming down.....by your logic one might speculate that its too high since domestic productions is up and prices have also continued to go up.....
So you will never drill to lower prices. The right wing is gonna have to just deal with it. On solar power China is investing millions even though they know it will not be profitable anytime soon, another testament to their devotion and success at eating our lunch. So I guess we've just decided to let have complete control over this technologies future...that will end well I'm sure
CC- Sure- I can predict the future of gas prices- guarantee that they will fluctuate- that's my prediction. I also don't mind them being high. I am fairly close to where I work- don't spend all that much on gas. In fact- when gas prices increase, my line of work tends to become more stable, and even elevated.
But I get a kick out of libs that complain about gas prices when their side is pretty much convinced the solution to all problems is higher taxes and higher gas prices. They are convinced that some Cap and Trade- with increasing energy costs, are the solution- but complain like heck when they get the effect. Libs also complain about jobs- yet love the stifling regs that curtail hiring.
So- what's your solution- Obama has sunk upwards of $1B into two solar panel companies that are all but belly up. Who knows how many more are heading the same direction. It seams as if it is the kiss of death for Obama to show up on your doorstep bragging about his ability to help. He showed up in Davenport Iowa bragging about how he personally turned around the specialty aluminum industry right before he started bashing the corporate jet industry (big users of specialty aluminum). His radio shows have bragged up his investments in both Solyndra and Abound Solar. He has admitted that he had no clue how bad the economy was, and has shown he has no clue how to fix it.
Copy what China's doing instead playing cowardly politics that's my damn solution. Think about the future. But as we know this nation almost never does that. Sadly.
The Chinese are putting even more in solar technology and they know very well that it is not profitable now....however they also realize the obvious that it will be incredibly valuable in the future. So that's China committed to gaining any and all future global advantages and then there's us expecting the "free market" to magically solve all problems and boiling everything down how much personal money we can make off of it. China=patience(a virtue). America=no patience, want we want and want it now.
CC- We did. Obama sank $1B in two companies. One failed, one is close to failing. $1B and about 400 jobs remain between the two companies. I might suggest letting the Chinese develop this, then buy the cheap stuff from them. Heck- then reverse engineer it the way they do, and we are in business at a fraction of the cost.
It's not about profit Rusty I thought I made that clear, it's not about how much money you'll make today it's about how valuable the technology will without a doubt be in the future.
Reverse engineer are you joking....yeah it's clearly america who is willing to cheat in our trade relationship with China. You know you can sell power without selling the equipment that makes it right?
Allowing others nations to take the front seat in the field of technological development will only flush this nation further down the drain
CC- I just can't get beyond the fact that we have spent $1B and netted 400 jobs on this technology. That is $2,500,000 for each job created. Sounds more like a rat hole than an investment.
The point is not about jobs the point is about the reality that these silly "alternate forms" of energy technology will be if unspeakable value in the future and which ever nation has control over it will reap tremendous benefits...China realizes that because they know they will be rich when they have patents for what everyone is going to want
If the united states continues to willingly take a backseat in the field of technological development it will continue to have a pathetic economy. You're caught in this simplistic concept of monetary investment and not considering the much larger picture. The country needs to innovate not procrastinate.
Then Newt is right.
??? How so?
I can tell you for certain that he's wrong about when he "becomes president"(what a laugh) he will make gas $2.50
Gingrich's campaign is in its death throws, he's out talking about how he will make gas cheaper by picking winners and losers which he claim the fed should not do.....remember when Bachmann claimed she would use the federal powers to make gas cheaper and like Newt gave no plan that would actually do that........
Newt is now campaigning only in his home state and Michelle also did in Iowa hoping that this single state will propel him to victory
look how campaign her run turned out......I don't even know why Newt is in the race, the longer he stays in the lower the chances of a GOP victory, if the Republicans are going to win this they need to get this guy not damaging their brand..long before the convention
Newt is proposing a tech race- funding space exploration, etc. The folks on these blogs got quite a kick out of his moon and mars goals.
He clearly is advocating, to put your words here because they fit, "If the united states continues to willingly take a backseat in the field of technological development it will continue to have a pathetic economy. You're caught in this simplistic concept of monetary investment and not considering the much larger picture. The country needs to innovate not procrastinate."
Talk about a Blunt Instrument.
How many men, women and children in America will die if this Blunt Instrument amendment passes in the U.S. Senate tomorrow?
While people are busy watching the new Reality Show "Ricky and the Religious Right" fending off "ALL-EVIL", at a time when your "BIG WINNER" in MICHIGAN remains UNQUESTIONED.
Others and I wonder why it is, that no one is asking Mitty about his "true blue" devotion to HIS "religion".
This is after he has ADMITTED that he believes and participates in "BAPTISM OF THE DEAD" against the will and last wishes of those people they SPIRITUALLY ASSAULT!
This "religion" is taking the term "OVER MY DEAD BODY" to an entirely new level of QUESTIONABLE BEHAVIOR.
To assume the "authority" of BAPTIZING my cold dead body, by PROXY (or otherwise) after I am dead and gone AND assuming YOU and YOUR ORGANIZATION is sending me…"my spirit or soul", to a place YOU think is heaven… is nothing less than SICK…NOT THE WAY TO RUN A COUNTRY...much less Presidential.
Now Speaking On The Subject At Hand:
THIS MESSAGE IS TO the REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE GOP:
1. When some theoretically DEVOUT Catholic guys are running around in front of your "inevitable candidate for President" like blockers on the football/campaign field, crying out about their right to FORCE thier religious dogma on the world, while simultaneously,
2. Your "PARTY" is out ATTACKING WOMEN, and hiding their viciousness behind the skirt of some PHONY RELIGIOUS PROVOCATION,
Be clear…
WE ARE "CALLING YOU OUT" on your LIES and HYPOCRISY as just another
REPUBLICAN GAME of bait and switch.
Sounds like 'ol Roy has been smoking a 'Blunt'
Welcome to Obamacare folks, and this is just the beginning of a horrifyingly mismanaged, overpriced, bureaucratic energy and time suck black hole that will make medicare look like a walk in the park.
This is your government arguing over what's best for you. Isn't that what you wanted? For them to show you they care?
Direct your anger at anyone you wish, but remember that it's completely irrelevant who is pushing to pass legislation to do (or prevent) anything. None of this would be happening at all if the federal government weren't involved in healthcare in the first place. Pray you don't get sick.
It is YOU who asked for national healthcare and trusted that the government would serve your best interests. The truth is they don't give one damn about you. This is all about what lobby has Obama's ear, and who is profiting from this, and that's all it's about. If you look at Hillary Clinton's investment portfolio you can see exactly who it is.
Welcome to the socialist future. The only ones who will benefit from Obamacare are the insurance companies who will win the proverbial lottery when they are subcontracted to process all of the data, and the pharmaceutical companies that will stick it to us with UCR pricing like medicare.
UCR = Usual, Customary, and Reasonable.
If it wasn't so sad I'd giggle my ass off.
Nope. How else can I prove you wrong today?
I hope no one is just finding that out.....
This is about the blunt amendment which in fact it does matter who is behind it, that always matters....it's how you keep accountable ya know......this is the extremist right wing answer to the alleged "socialist future" and this fight would indeed be happening regardless since FYI government has been involved in insurance of all kinds for quite some time.......
kinda like the N.H. health care coverage guidelines the ones the GOP claim would be the rape of the catholic church's(which I might argue is some kind of poetic justice..but alas...) when the president talked about it back in jan......as I understand it the religiosity of NH has not been completely decimated
face,
lets remember that the individual mandate, THE REPUBLICAN'S ANSWER to health care, as far back as nixon, was/is a CONSERVATIVE IDEA.
this is how the repubs countered teddy's plan for health care reform, and they dug out the "individual mandate" to counter Hillary's health care reform.
President Obama put this on the table to get repub votes, BUT NOW THEY ACT AS IF THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT, just like the "dream act" and "cap and tax", all repub ideas.
this health insurance reform is not socialist.
Hey - Maybe this Blunt Deal isn't so bad.
As an employer, I have a moral objection to my staff having more than three kids.
WWJD - Well, he talked about being a good steward and time and talents...So I find that raising more than three in this day and age is not being a good steward.
Can I - Could I require female employees to take the pill and guys be neutered?
That pretty much sums up what they want.
It's what bothers me, the GOP says healthcare needs to be kept between patients and doctors, and at the same time they want policy to be decided by the employer based on religion? What is that?
Yep- the outrageous hypothetical can always be thought up and made as a selling point. You folks are as bad as the Republicans using death panel hypotheticals to argue against Obamacare in the first place. The more outrageous and stupid the example, the more possible it is to get unthinking people to agree with it. If you doubt what I am saying- just read all of the above.
Update: The amendment was just killed on a strict partisan vote. Thank God for the Democrats in the Senate!
OR,
only Olympia Snow crossed party lines to vote with the democrats.
i had a feeling she would vote that way.
Thank god this didn't pass my employer is a Muslim and this bill pushed by the Repuk's would have subjected me to Sharia law. And any other American who happens to work for a Muslim leave it to the Repuk's to support Sharia law
Would it be possible to be honest about this whole contraception issue? It has been twisted by both side into an issue of fredom as well as a a women health issue which are both just talking points and deception that is masking real concerns that I have. If I understand the issue it is not that the contraception would be made available but instead the removal of the co-pay. So there would still be a co-pay for brand drugs and life saving drugs say if I had cancer, diabetes, hypertension and seniors who we are supposed to be helping are benefiting how since this does not effect hormone replacement therapy which people have lumped into this conversation and would still be covered.
Want to throw a few other points in the discussion that since I have been developing these products with the largest generic manufacturer of oral contraception products for twenty years. First, these products do have an impact on the environment with the majority of the contraception products being excreted. There are a significant number of published and peer reviewed studies that indicate that ground and surface water is contaminated by these products. Where are all the people worried about DDT and antibiotics in these discussions? Maybe we should sale them from the states using a co-pay and use the funds to fix our inadequate sewage treatment plants that do not remove these materials from thier discharge much like we use tabacco taxes for other purposes?
Does everyone realize that there is a discussion of risk to benefit of using many of the most popular oral contraception products such as Yaz and Yasmin and thier generic equivalents concerning breast cancer and blood clots. Would it be possible that these oral contraceptive that we are talking about and our government could be involved in the distribution for political gains could they also be listed as liable? Think the FDA is going to rule against these or since they are politically invested in the products now, will avoid lawsuit by allowing the drugs to stay on the market?
I have also read where that pharmacies are charging students and others $100 a month for the contraceptives. Does everyone realize that the wholesale price for the most expensive oral contractive is approximately $26 for a three month product and for an individual generic oral contraceptive compact is approximately $6. This is a scam by distributors and pharmacies to continue to recieve large sums of cash and the federal government getting involved to insure thier contributions being placed in the hands of the right politian.
Some of the largest contracts for these products owned by the company I work are for individual states that purchase these products and distribute for free.
for some (a few) it would mean the removal of a co-pay. for others, for MOST women, it would mean un-biased access, because as a general rule insurance companies have been discriminative against women in regard to their contraceptive health care coverage, and their health care coverage in general.