An amendment to ensure religious freedom against the recent federal contraception mandate, known as the Blunt Amendment, was voted down in the Senate with the help of 13 Catholic politicians March 1.
Of the 24 Catholic members of the U.S. Senate, 13 Democrats opposed the amendment, while 11 Republicans and three Democrats supported it.
Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., expressed his disappointment with the bill’s narrow defeat, but said the “fight is not over” and that he would continue to work to protect the First Amendment.
Chairman of the U.S. bishops’ committee on religious freedom, Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., said that he would continue working to “build on this base of support” to defend conscience rights, which is the “most critical issue before our country right now.”
The Senate voted 51-48 on Thursday to “table” the proposed amendment, effectively killing it by preventing an up-or-down vote on the amendment itself.
In voting down the Blunt Amendment, the U.S. Senate has taken “the unprecedented step to deny our religious liberties” president of Catholic Advocate, Matt Smith, said in a March 1 press release.
The proposed amendment would have allowed health-care providers to opt out of providing coverage that violates their “religious beliefs or moral convictions.”
Sens. Bob Casey, D.-Pa., Joe Manchin, D.-W. Va., and Ben Nelson, D.-Neb., were the minority of Senate Democrats in their support for the amendment.
Although he “strongly” supports contraceptives and has voted to provide funding for them in the past, Casey said he believes that “religiously affiliated institutions should not be forced by their governments to violate their beliefs.”
Obama’s Feb. 10 accommodation “does not go far enough to ensure that this ruling doesn’t infringe upon religious liberties” Casey said.
Those who opposed the amendment said it contained “dangerously broad language” which could potentially limit health care to women and children, John Kerry, D-Mass., said.
Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who voted against the amendment, said it would undermine “women’s ability to access basic health care.”
As it stands, the contraception mandate, first announced Jan. 20 and amended Feb.10, would force employers to buy insurance plans that cover contraception, sterilization and abortion-causing drugs, even if doing so violates their consciences.
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Found out today while listening to catholic radio that the birth control pill is a steriod for girls and women. And congress has hearing on baseball players taking steriods. What is so healthy about birth control pill?
Slight math error. Even though the numbers don’t add up in the article, if being Catholic is to be in good graces with the Church then there were really 14 Catholic Senators who voted.
Catholic Register: You published that 13 Catholic Politicians voted the Blount Bill down. How about publishing a list of their names so they can’t hide from the voters ? If you do not wish to do this publish the address of a web site where a voter can identify the voting record of the politicians.
The public has a right to know who voclubcted up or down for the Bill.
Register: Pardon my error. You published the names of CAtholic politicians and their voting record exactly as I requested. Keep up the good work
STAY STRONG BISHOPS. “Religious Liberty”. Very close Vote 48 to 51, with all REPUBLICANS less Snowe and 3 Democrats also on the side of “Religious Liberty”.
Unfortunately examples of said catholic Kennedy’s,Pelosi, Sebelius herself and these 13 goofballs are not not new and just prize puppets for secularist to show off.
I agree.
They did publish how all the senators voted. See the red link at the beginning of the article.
Catholic politicians who scandalize the innocent shouild be ex-communicated. We don’t live in an era of courageous prelates.
Everybody, take a moment to thank those Catholic Democratic senators who voted FOR the Blunt legislation, especially if they are in your state. They need the encouragement for going against the party line.
Contraception,with it’s ultimate expression abortion, is NOT health care. It is killing.
How about putting up the list of catholic senators and house members that are so call catholic and voted for the health care bill. If they follow the teaching of the church will not be in the mess we are in today. Joe
Democrats who are so pro-the anti-life agenda are very much inclined to see the GOP activity as purely political, and not guided by any serious moral principle. It is worse this year since it is a very hotly contested election between the Extremist Obama-Demos and the centre of the Electorate where most people are, live and vote from. Catholics and other Christians, Evangelicals and others, and Orthdox Jews and moderate Moslems are best occupied pulling the undecideds and moderates toward tthe centre to keep the Electorate close to the centre. That means encouraging the most moderate of candidates’ views. Prayer, letters to the editor, blogs, contacts with politicians and civil conversations with friends, co-workers and family are all part of the material the Holy Spirit blows through the bring us sanity and respect for the Natural Law and freedom of conscience. We ddeal with the same issues in somehwat different ways in Europe, I am amased at the agenda here and where it is the same or just lagging behind the extremes of the “liberal” - lousy word- viewpoint in the USA.
We need to pray for the Catholic Senators who have put party politics ahead of their faith and pray for all those babies that will never experience the fullness of life.
I was just on the internet and checked “side effects of contraceptive pills”. Many, too many to cite here. They call this “healthcare for women” when it is messing up their hormones, and much more in their bodies. There is also copper in some and it which affected a person that I know. This is not healthcare. If they called the condom, healthcare, because it prevents STD’s, then I could understand that being “healthcare”.....Oh, oh, my wonderful government, don’t give me a raise in SS for two yrs., complain that my Medicare is costing the government too much money,but lets us give the young people of our country FREE CONTRACEPTIVES, BECAUSE HAVING A BABY IS MORE EXPENSIVE. THAT’S RIGHT MR. OBAMA & COMPANY, YOU HAVE ALREADY MADE ME FEEL THAT AT AGE 85, I AM JUST A NUISANCE AND COST THE GOVERNMENT TOO MUCH MONEY TO EXIST. DOESN’T THAT COME NEXT????
I am wondering if the catholic politicians understand what a bishop is to self and church. I know the quick and simple solution is to excommunicate, but I think it is time as a Church to do something more complicated. Change ourselves by learning more about the faith through reading the catholic register and watching/listening to ewtn and help your local parish more than ever. Pray for the bishops and ask God to make you a better Christian. Continue being a voice of reason and truth but also begin to focus more on self with Christ and His Church. Desperate times is calling for desperate measures. Saint Thomas More, Pray for us; Blessed Virgin Mary, Pray for Us.
This article does not name these Senators. For the record here is the list of the 13 false “Catholic” Senators who fully informed by the Bishops of the gravity of the matter none the less still voted to support and sustain Mzz Sebelius and her evil HHH Mandate.
Spin it anyway you wish when they voted down the Blunt amendment they spat in the face of Holy Mother Church and all her Bishops. They also spat on Freedom of Conscience for the rest of us.
Catholic? Senator Mark Begich Democrat of Alaska
Catholic? Senator Tom Harkin Democrat of Iowa
Catholic? Senator Richard Durbin Democrat of Illinois
Catholic? Senator Mary Landrieu Democrat of Louisiana
Catholic? Senator John Kerry Democrat of Massachusetts
Catholic? Senator Barbara Mikulski Democrat of Maryland
Catholic? Senator Claire McCaskill Democrat of Missouri
Catholic? Senator Robert Menendez Democrat of New Jersey
Catholic? Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Democrat of New York
Catholic? Senator Jack Reed Democrat of Rhode Island
Catholic? Senator Pat Leahy Democrat of Vermont
Catholic? Senator Maria Cantwell Democrat of Washington
Catholic? Senator Patty Murray Democrat of Washington
Catholic? Senator Olympia Snowe Democrat* of Maine
Notice anything—They were ALL “Democrats” *For the slow witted ANY Catholic? Senator such as Olympia Snowe who:
Voted NO on restricting UN funding for population control policies.
Voted NO on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP
Voted NO on prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion.
Voted NO on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions.
Voted NO on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions.
Voted NO on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during crime.
Voted NO on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions.
Voted NO on banning human cloning ... and
Voted YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines.
Has EARNED THE RIGHT to be called one of these Democrats.
These 13 false Senators had their Vote ... There are 47 million Catholic voters in the United States. One quarter of all registered voters are Catholics.
This November 47 Million Catholics by their Votes can choose either to support the Church or like others throughout History have done and think they know better and spit in Her Face.
Obama and Company ... Fool me once shame on You. Fool me twice shame on Me.
It is our fault as Catholics that the so called Catholics continue to defy
Church teaching on life matters. We have Catholic voters who continue to vote in those pro-choice people into office. We have to educate our voters to vote against those Baby Killers out of office.If they (Catholic voters) do not consider the life of a fetus and babies as important than they will not be voting out those Pelosi Democrates out. A Catholic I know called me a one issue voter because of my stance on the life of a child.
The Spanish speaking TV stations are notorious in calling the Rebulicans as Racist because of the recent events in Arizona. Thus many Hispancis refuse to vote for a pro-life Republican. We need to educate our Catholic Democrats.
as to the importance of the life issue
Our Lord told the disciples ,this evil can only be cast out by prayer and fasting.i don’t see that its necessarily our fault as Catholics that other so called catholics (febiole3/4/12) are were they are.I feel that
americans and catholics have been mezmerized for the longest time with Rose Colored reality.Now as we are maturing and are awake we relize by grace how dangerous and perilous this agenda of the last 3 years have lead
and we have 2 choices Life or Death.this is a Heavy Spiritual War and with GOD all things are possible for by our own means we can do nothing.We know the remedies Rosary Mass Confession Adoration but lets not loose site of fasting and prayer.Its taken me 40 years to realize this
and God will not spurn this and you know those who are pro choice catholics may find that by our fasting and prayer that what they thought was freedom was actually bondage and turning back to God is true freedom
without a word spoken only a quiet perpetual sacrifice of quiet love .For all the people of the earth are Gods children regardless of how clouded their vision is today .
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