Marco Rubio, Rod Smith Spar Over Defeated Birth-Control Measure

Submitted by Anonymous on March 1, 2012 - 1:15pm

Sen. Marco Rubio on Thursday called the Senate's defeat of a provision exempting religious organizations from some aspects of the federal mandate to provide insurance coverage for birth control and drugs that induce abortion a "setback for religious freedoms."

The Senates failure to pass Senator [Roy] Blunts amendment is a setback for religious freedoms in America. We must stop the unconstitutional mandate under Obamacare that requires church-affiliated organizations to offer their workers private-insurance coverage without out-of-pocket charges for birth control, something they are morally opposed to," Rubio said in a statement.

"Telling religious-based organizations that they must, by mandate of the federal government, pay for things that religion teaches is wrong. You may not agree with what the religion believes, but thats not the point. The point is the First Amendment still applies. Religious freedom still exists," Rubio declared after the 51-48 vote.

Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith countered, calling Blunt's measure "dangerous and extreme":

"Make no mistake: Senator Rubio, along with Mitt Romney, tried to turn women's health care into a political football in order to advance their own extreme agenda -- a shameful, partisan tactic which threatened the lives of women in our state and across our country," Smith said.

"This dangerous legislation would have stripped a Florida woman of her ability to make her own decisions about her health care. Rubio's attack on women was rightfully defeated," Smith said.

The Susan B. Anthony List, a conservative group, said there "will be consequences" for senators who voted Blunt down.

Today, following the Senate defeat of the Blunt amendment that would have protected the conscience rights of employers, Marjorie Dannenfelser of the Susan B. Anthony List released the following statement:

Today the Senate failed to defend the conscience rights of millions of Americans that are being trampled upon by Obamacare. Americans do not wish to be forced to pay for abortion-inducing drugs by unelected bureaucrats in Washington," said Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser.

"There will be consequences in November for senators in tight races who voted to kill this amendment with the absurd reasoning that they are acting in the best interests of women. Undermining the religious liberty and conscience rights of women can never serve them.