Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell celebrates
It was a foregone conclusion that Senate Republicans would filibuster Democratic legislation to undo the damage caused by the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision, and now it's official:
Senate Republicans have blocked a bill aimed at restoring free contraception for women who get their health insurance from companies that object on religious grounds.
The vote on Wednesday was 56-43 to move ahead on the measure, short of the 60 votes necessary to proceed.
The one tiny piece of good news here is that it's clear Republicans are feeling the heat, because earlier this week they
unveiled legislation purporting to protect women's access to birth control coverage. In reality, the legislation won't accomplish its stated purpose, because it does nothing to impact health insurance coverage requirements, but it's a sign that even Republicans understand that they are on the wrong side of the politics here. And that means Democrats shouldn't relent in this fight until we win.