Senate and House Democrats are
readying legislation to counteract the Supreme Court's
Hobby Lobby decision that allows private corporations to deny birth control coverage to their employees. There are several bills in the works, all to be introduced before the August recess, and all expected to play a big part in the fall campaign.
At least three bills are being crafted in the House and Senate to amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which the high court used as the basis for its ruling that the contraception mandate violated federal law. […]
“Last week’s decision reignited a conversation across the country reminding women once again that their access to healthcare has become a political issue, when it should be a basic right,” said Marcy Stech, national press secretary for EMILY’s List. […]
“This will be a huge motivator for women in the fall and a liability for Republican candidates up and down the map,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) spokesman Justin Barasky added. […]
“The polling shows that when we fight back, women believe in what we’re saying,” Republican National Committee spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski said.
“The Dems are a one-trick pony, and waging a false war on women is the only way they believe they can win. If you don’t fight back, why wouldn’t the voters believe them? Those days are over, and we’ve been very open and aggressive with our messaging and tactics,” Kukowski said.
That's pretty tough talk from the Republican operative, and must have been hard for her to say with her head buried so deep in the sand. It might be just "one trick" for Democrats, but it's a helluva trick to have, particularly since
it's on the side of the voting public.
The legislation includes "a broad bill to protect employees’ access to birth control coverage" from Sen. Patty Murray, (D-WA), and a measure from Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) to require employers to disclose whether they cover birth control. In the House, bills from Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) would each amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the law that underpins the Supreme Court decision, to clarify what exactly that law covers.
The legislation isn't going to advance, in either chamber. Senate Republicans will block it on the floor, House Republicans won't even let it get there. That's the key to the political success of the law and the key to motivating women to get to the polls in November.
