Senate Votes 51-48 To Kill Blunt Amendment (updated 2x)

[ProSense]

Senate Votes 51-48 To Kill Blunt Amendment

The Democratic-led Senate voted on Thursday to table the Blunt amendment aimed at rolling back the Obama administration's birth control mandate. The tally was 51-48 to strike it down.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/senate-votes-51-48-to-kill-blunt-amendment

Updated to add...

Senate Kills Blunt’s Anti-Contraception Amendment

By Igor Volsky

By a vote of 51-48, the Senate agreed to table a Republican amendment offered by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) that would have empowered employers to deny coverage of health services to their employees on the basis of personal moral objections. The measure represented the GOP’s response to President Obama’s rule requiring employers to provide contraception and other preventive health services as part of their health insurance plans. Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe (ME) — who announced her retirement earlier this week — was the only Republican to join Democrats in “tabling” the amendment, while three Democrats, Sens. Ben Nelson (NE), Joe Manchin (WV), and Bob Casey (PA) voted to preserve it.

During the nearly two hour debate, Republicans attempted to frame the issue as an attempt to prevent religious organizations from the Obama administration’s overreach and, despite supporting efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, maintained that women could obtain birth control from public sources. Blunt took to the floor to argue that employers would be discouraged from denying certain treatments by existing state mandates and a provision in the amendment requiring employers to replace the benefit with another service.

The most surprising support came from Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), a pro-choice Republican who has previously supported contraception equity measures without conscience exemptions for religious organizations. Collins expressed skepticism about the wide scope of Blunt’s amendment, but said the administration’ incomplete rule — specifically its lack of detail about how to treat self-insured plans — compelled her to support the measure. “I feel that I have to vote for Sen. Blunt’s amendment with the hope that the scope will be narrowed and refined,” she said, adding, “I do this with a lot of conflict.”

- more -

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/03/01/435524/senate-kills-blunts-anti-contraception-amendment/

Update 2...

Hall of Shame: See the 48 Senators who voted against tabling the Blunt amendment

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=2&vote=00024

...because a woman's employer should be making these decisions for her.

[Mass]

1. Way too close for comfort?

Can we kick out the Dems who voted against tabling?

[karynnj]

11. I know they needed 50 to table it, but would they have needed 60 to add it?

Both Casey and his father were right to life Democrats. Here, I wonder if the problem is the inclusion of emergency contraception, which he likely equates to abortion. I looked at his site and there is no statement on this vote.

Does anyone know why this was a vote to table rather than a straight up/down vote on the amendment? Does tabling it do more than rejecting it - maybe in terms of ending all discussion on variants of it? If not, why take the vote that needs 50 against vs 41 against?

[ProSense]

12. It's close

because Democrats only have a three-vote cushion.

Republicans cannot be counted on.

[marlakay]

2. I can see why Snowe is retiring

Look at how many senators on the right voted for this!

[Mass]

4. All but her...

[marlakay]

5. She can finally vote like she wants to now. Nt

[joeybee12]

3. I think Collins and also Manchin voted for it as cover...

Knowing beforehand it would fail...they were number counting and figured they could get away with it...I still ahte them, but that explains whyt hey did it.

[LiberalAndProud]

6. Too close for comfort.

Why am I not surprised that Ben Nelson was one of the three Depublicans. It's as well he is retiring, because I couldn't cast another vote for him in good conscience.

[sadbear]

7. Granted, I thankful to Casey for defeating Santorum

Can we not do better than Casey in Pennsylvania now?

[gratuitous]

8. Dear Senators Nelson, Manchin and Casey

I pray to God that you do not know or love any women ever in your lives, and that if you do, that none of them ever require the services of a physician. You are heartless beyond description, and the women in your lives deserve better treatment.

Love and kisses,
Your friendly neighborhood
gratuitous

[Dawson Leery]

9. Getting rid of "moderate" Susan Collins should be our next priority.

[Robbins]

10. Casey

While I know he Is pro-Life I am surprised he would allow all businesses to deny coverage to woman for Birth control.Especilly since a lot of catholics supported the compromise.

[ProSense]

13. Exactly

"While I know he Is pro-Life I am surprised he would allow all businesses to deny coverage to woman for Birth control.Especilly since a lot of catholics supported the compromise."

His vote and Collin's make no sense.