Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday that congressional Republicans will work to defeat a key provision of President Obama’s health care law that mandates religious nonprofits such as charities, hospitals and universities to cover costs for contraception.
“If we end up having to try to overcome the President’s opposition by legislation, of course I’d be happy to support it, and intend to support it,” said Mr. McConnell. “We’ll be voting on that in the Senate and you can anticipate that that would happen as soon as possible.”
Mr. McConnell said Republicans would support a proposal put forth by Missouri U.S. Senator Roy Blunt that permits any employer to deny birth control coverage in their health insurance plans.
The Kentucky Republican’s comment comes as the Obama administration offered a compromise on what is quickly becoming a major issue in the 2012 election. Speaking from the White House on Friday, Mr. Obama said he would agree to allowing private insurance companies to cover the costs associated with providing birth control, adding that his administration remains committed to providing widespread health care coverage, and respecting religious freedom.
Asked Monday whether he considered Mr. Obama’s compromise as an acceptable concession, the Kentucky Republican said the president’s compromise did little to to address the fundamental issue.
“The fact that the White House thinks this is about contraception is the whole problem. This is about freedom of religion, it’s right there in the First Amendment. You can’t miss it — right there in the very first amendment to our Constitution,” Mr. McConnell said. “What the overall view on the issue of contraception is has nothing to do with an issue about religious freedom.”
Meanwhile, House Republican leaders also said they will move forward with legislation to repeal the birth control provision in its entirety. The move aligns them with Catholic Bishops who say the new policy remains unacceptable.
