“It’s time for you to put an end to the attacks on women’s health care and to work with the Senate to get back to the American people’s top priority: creating jobs and boosting our economy.”

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, all 12 Democratic women Senators sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner calling on him to rescind his pledge to push forward with efforts to restrict women’s access to contraception after the Blunt amendment was defeated in the Senate. The Senator’s letter comes in the wake of Speaker Boehner’s public pledge to continue efforts to limit birth control access in the House, where a similar version of the Blunt amendment has over 200 co-sponsors. Speaker Boehner’s promise to continue fighting also comes despite a national outcry from women, the overwhelming majority of whom have used contraception at some point in their lifetime.

“We are asking that you abandon the promise you have made to bring legislation to the House floor similar to the Blunt amendment, which was defeated in the Senate last week, and which would turn the clock back on women’s access to health care,” the Senators wrote. “At a time when 99% of sexually active women in the U.S. have used birth control, its role in the lives of women and their families is hard to understate…. That is why the recent Republican attacks on birth control access have been so eye-opening for American women. For most American women, the battle over contraception was settled a half century ago.”

The letter was sent by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kay Hagan (D-NC), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).

The full text of the Senator’s letter follows (PDF here):

Speaker Boehner,

We write to express our concerns over your recent statements pledging to continue efforts to put employers between American women and their access to birth control. Specifically, we are asking that you abandon the promise you have made to bring legislation to the House floor similar to the Blunt amendment, which was defeated in the Senate last week, and which would turn the clock back on women’s access to health care. Furthermore, we ask that you listen to the overwhelming outcry from American women who support access to contraception and drop all politically-charged efforts to deny them coverage.

Today, at a time when 99% of sexually active women in the U.S. have used birth control, its role in the lives of women and their families is hard to understate. Access to birth control is directly linked to declines in maternal and infant mortality, can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, and is linked to overall good health outcomes. Nationwide, 1.5 million women use contraceptives only as treatment for serious medical conditions. And most importantly, access to birth control helps reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions, a goal we all share.

That is why the recent Republican attacks on birth control access have been so eye-opening for American women. For most American women, the battle over contraception was settled a half century ago. Yet, over the course of the past month alone, women have watched as panels on birth control have been convened without women, a young woman that dared to speak out in defense of birth control was subjected to vile name-calling, and extreme legislation, like the Blunt amendment, has been pushed to deny access.

Women have had enough. As we have heard from countless women in our home states and here on Capitol Hill, they are tired of being targets for a political strategy that endangers their health care and they want it to stop. We hope that you can answer their calls, and ours. It’s time for you to put an end to the attacks on women’s health care and to work with the Senate to get back to the American people’s top priority: creating jobs and boosting our economy.

As you may know, today is International Women’s Day, a day celebrated each year to mark the political, social, and economic progress women have made. We ask that on this day you join with us in working to ensure that we build on the progress of the past, not reverse it.

Sincerely,

U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kay Hagan (D-NC), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

“The closeness of this vote show how high the stakes are on this issue. Republicans want to force women to surrender their health decisions to their bosses, and even let employers deny women access to contraception. Some of the wiser Republicans already regret forcing this issue to the floor and voted it for with clenched teeth. If Republicans keep this up, they are going to drive away independents just like they are driving the moderates out of their caucus.”

“Today’s vote showed us a great deal about where Republicans’ priorities lie. Instead of working with Democrats to create jobs, Republicans are trying to deny women access to health care services like contraception. Democrats are trying to move forward with a bill that would create or save nearly two million American jobs. But at the urging of the Tea Party, Republicans are obstructing this jobs bill with unrelated amendments like the one we defeated today.

“Republicans’ proposal to let any employer deny women access to contraceptives would not create a single job. Under Republicans’ proposal, over 170,000 women could lose access to contraception coverage and other health services in Nevada alone.

“The American public wants us to work on bipartisan ways to create jobs – not re-fight the culture wars. I truly hope my Republican colleagues will get the message, and work with us on middle-of-the-road solutions to create jobs and grow our economy.”

Snowe: ‘Much Broader Than I Could Support’ … Murkowksi: ‘Don’t Know Where We Are Going With This Issue’

Sen. Olympia Snowe: “With Respect To The Blunt Amendment, It’s Much Broader Than I Could Support.” [MSNBC, 2/29/12]

Sen. Murkowski: “I Don’t Know Where We Are Going With This Issue.” “But other Republicans said that the party had other priorities and that they wanted more information about how the new requirement would work. ‘I don’t know where we are going with this issue,’ said Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska. Ms. Murkowski said she did not want a vote on the issue this week. ‘We’ve got way too much else to be doing,’ Ms. Murkowski said, adding that her constituents were more concerned about energy policy.” [New York Times, 2/29/12]

Joe Scarborough Warns Republicans: In Debate Over Contraception, “Republicans Will Get Routed in Swing Areas.” Scarborough: “My warning last week was to the Obama administration this week it is to the Republicans… They need to be very careful about how they push forward on this issue, because if it stops being about freedom of religion and starts being about contraception then Republicans will get routed in swing areas.”  [MSNBC, 2/14/12]

Illinois GOP Party Chair: Contraceptive Debate “Hurts Us With Independents.”  Illinois Republican Party chair Pat Brady said of the contraceptive debate, “it hurts us with independents.” [Chicago Sun-Times, 2/28/12]

Top Senate GOP Aide: “There Could Be Consequences” For Taking Aim At Women’s Health. “But there’s worry even within his own party that his proposal goes too far and could unleash a voter backlash in a year the GOP hopes to wrest control of the White House and Senate from Democrats. ‘There is a concern his amendment was written too broadly,’ said a top Senate GOP aide. ‘There is fear that it will shift attention from religious freedom to women’s health. If that happens, there could be consequences.’” [Politico, 2/29/12]

Former Presidential Candidate Rudy Giuliani: “It Makes The Party Look Like it Isn’t a Modern Party.” “‘It makes the party look like it isn’t a modern party,’ Rudy Giuliani told CNN’s Erin Burnett, fretting about the candidates’ Cotton Mather attitude about women and gays. ‘It doesn’t understand the modern world that we live in.’” [NY Times, 2/25/12]

Rep. Jo Ann Emerson: Party Should “Move On” To More Pressing Issues. “Emerson said the party could be better served to accept the ruling and focus on more pressing issues. ‘I think getting the president to compromise on [the ruling] was a significant victory, and people should embrace it and move on,’ she said.” [USA Today, 2/17/12]

Republican Adviser Juleanna Glover: Women Will Think All Republicans Oppose Birth Control. “Republican adviser and hostess Juleanna Glover said on her Facebook page that women will think all Republicans oppose birth control ‘and none but the 1 percent of Catholic women who never used birth control will vote for (the) GOP nominee.’” [AP, 2/23/12]

South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard Said “He Was Worried The Debate Over Such Issues Might Alienate Uncommitted Voters.”  “Some Republican governors voiced concern that social issues like contraception and gay marriage had at times eclipsed discussion of the economy in the primary race.  ‘I do agree those social issues are not as significant as some of the economic and fiscal issues that really threaten our way of life,’ South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard said, saying he was worried the debate over such issues might alienate uncommitted voters.” [AP, 2/25/12]

Blunt Amendment Is So Far Reaching It Would Allow Any Corporation or Health Plan to Deny Women and Their Families Access to These Services For Virtually Any Reason

Amendment Set to Receive Senate Vote As Early As This Week

Washington, DC – Today the Democratic Policy and Communications Center released state-by-state data on the potential impact of Senator Roy Blunt’s (R-MO) so called “Respect for Rights of Conscience Act” on women’s access to preventive care.  Data recently compiled by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shows that an estimated 20.4 million women are now taking advantage of preventive health care services provided under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the Blunt legislation could put their access to these services at risk.  These services will include contraception, mammograms, pre-natal screenings, cervical cancer screenings, flu shots and much more.  The legislation has been introduced as an amendment to the surface transportation bill and will likely get a vote in the Senate as early as this week.

A state by state breakdown of the data can be found below and here.

Under the Affordable Care Act many insurance plans are now required to provide free coverage for certain recommended preventive health services.  The Blunt Amendment is so extreme that it would allow any corporation or health plan to deny access to these services, for any reason.  It provides employers with extraordinarily wide and unprecedented latitude over what should be covered.  A corporation could decide, for example, that cancer screenings are driving up their insurance costs and remove them from their health plan.  An employer could also deny prenatal care for expecting mothers.

Data comes from the Department of Health and Human Services – http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2012/PreventiveServices/ib.shtml

The legislation would allow employers to deny their employees’ contraception coverage, among other preventive services, merely on the basis of “moral objections.” Female senators voiced opposition to the measure today from the floor, and called on their Democratic and Republican colleagues to stand by them in favor of protecting women’s access to such services.

Watch a video clip to catch their remarks here.

Republicans Ignoring Polls Showing Broad Support For Administration Compromise – Including Among Catholic Women

New Push Is Just The Latest In Litany Of Republican Efforts To Curtail Women’s Access To Health Services

DECLARING “THERE IS NO ROOM FOR COMPROMISE,” REPUBLICANS VOW TO PURSUE EXTREME MEASURES TO RESTRICT WOMEN’S ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES.

Sen. McConnell Pledges Senate Vote On Blunt Proposal To Give Employers Unprecedented Power To Deny Women Access To Critical Health Services. SCHIEFFER: “Well I guess what I’m asking you though is are you willing as far as Senator Blunt now wants to go and just write in legislation that would ban any group that had just a, quote, moral objection, not just a religious group but just any group that had a moral objection to that? Would you be willing to push that in the senate?” MCCONNELL: “Yeah. You know, 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. It would be difficult as long as the president is rigid in his view that he gets to decide what somebody else’s religion is. I assume he would veto it. But yeah, we’ll be voting on that in the Senate. And you can anticipate that that would happen as soon as possible.” [Face the Nation, 2/13/12]

Speaker Boehner Vows Push To Restrict Women’s Access To Contraception.  “House Republicans say religious leaders are not convinced the White House contraception compromise ‘doesn’t constitute an attack on religious freedom, which has been a fundamental American right for more than 200 years,’ a spokesman for Speaker John Boehner said Friday. He urged the president to work with the Catholic bishops, and in the meantime the House would work on legislation ‘that respects all Americans’ constitutional rights.’” [Politico Pro, 2/10/12]

Sen. Coats: “There Is No Room For Compromise.” “Today’s announcement changes nothing. Whether religious employers are forced to pay directly for contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs or to act as facilitators, their religious liberty remains compromised. But what the president fails to understand is that when it comes to freedom of religion – a core American principle – there is no room for compromise.” [Press Release, 2/10/12]

Sen. Hatch: Anything Short Of Full GOP Position “Is No Compromise.” “This is about religious freedom, and anything short of a full exemption is no compromise” [Press Release, 2/10/12]

Sen. Blunt: Administration Compromise Is An “Accounting Gimmick.” “Just because you can come up with an accounting gimmick and pretend like religious institutions do not have to pay for the mandate, does not mean that you’ve satisfied the fundamental constitutional freedoms that all Americans are guaranteed. I’ll continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that we reverse this unconstitutional mandate in its entirety.” [Press Release, 2/10/12]

Sen. Johanns: Repeal Entire Mandate. “Though he may call this a compromise, asking people of faith to turn their backs on their deeply held beliefs is anything but. The one thing you cannot compromise is your conscience, and the only way to avoid this dilemma is to repeal the mandate and protect fundamental rights granted by the Constitution.” [Press Release, 2/10/12]

Sen. Rubio: Solution Is Full Repeal Of Health Reform. “It’s good that the president reaffirmed that the federal government cannot force faith-based institutions to provide services that they teach are wrong. Unfortunately, as more of these rules are written, our constitutional rights will continue to be threatened by the administration’s policy goals. This issue exemplifies the problem with putting the federal government in charge of health care, and shows why we must fully repeal Obamacare.” [Sunshine State News, 2/10/12]

REPUBLICANS BACK RADICAL PROPOSAL TO ALLOW EMPLOYERS TO DENY COVERAGE FOR CONTRACEPTION AND OTHER CRITICAL HEALTH SERVICES TO WOMEN

Senator Blunt’s Proposal Lets Any Employer Deny Anyone Access to Health Care.  As part of their ongoing effort to politicize women’s health, Senator Blunt’s extreme measure would essentially allow any employer or health plan to decide not to provide any essential health benefit or preventive service to any American.

• Under Blunt Proposal, Any Employer Could Invoke Vague “Moral Conviction” To Deny Health Services To Employees.  The Blunt measure would allow employers and insurance companies to deny coverage of any health service – not limited to birth control – based on “religious beliefs or moral convictions.” This definition is so broad, for example, that CEO’s with a “moral objection” to Type 2 Diabetes or HIV screening could deny coverage of these services to all employees. [NWLC, 2/10/12]
• Employers Could Discriminate Against Individuals Under Blunt Proposal. The Blunt proposal would allow health plans to discriminate against individuals based on sex, race, color, national origin, age, and disability. As a result, if a CEO of an insurance company had a “moral objection” to out-of-wedlock births, the company could deny single, pregnant women access to routine sonograms. [NWLC, 2/10/12]
• Blunt Proposal Creates An Unprecedented Right of Action for “Threatened” Violations. Any individual would have the right to file a lawsuit in Federal court for actual or “threatened violations.” As a result, state officials might be less likely to enforce any law which could be perceived as a threat, thereby resulting in further restricted access to critical services. [NWLC, 2/10/12]

POLLS SHOW AMERICANS – INCLUDING CATHOLICS – BROADLY SUPPORTS BIRTH CONTROL BENEFIT

Poll: Fifty Six Percent of Voters Support Birth Control Benefit.  According to a poll conducted by PPP, 56 percent of voters support the birth control benefit, while only 37 percent are opposed, with women supporting the measure by a margin of 63 -29 percent.  Among independents 55 percent support it while only 36 percent oppose it.  [PPP, 2/10/11]

Poll: Fifty Three Percent of Catholics Support Birth Control Benefit.  According to a poll conducted by PPP, 53 percent of Catholics support  the birth control benefit while only 44 percent are opposed.  [PPP, 2/10/11]

THIS IS JUST THE LATEST IN LITANY OF REPUBLICAN EFFORTS TO CURTAIL WOMEN’S ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES

Republicans Threatened to Shut Down the Government to Defund Planned Parenthood.  In April 2011, during the debate over funding the government, Republicans threatened to shut down the federal government in order to gut women’s access to healthcare. [ABC News, 4/8/11]

235 House Republicans Voted To Eliminate All Funding For Title X, Jeopardizing Critical Preventive Health Services for Women.  HR.1, the House Republican’s spending bill eliminated $327 million from Title X, whose providers served close to 5 million women with preventive services including screenings for breast and cervical cancer. [Wall Street Journal, 2/9/11; H.R. 1; Vote 147, 2/19/11]

Republican Budget Raised Prescription Drug Prices on 2 Million Women. The House Republican budget re-opened the Medicare Part D prescription drug “donut hole.”  As a result, senior women would have had to pay an additional $599 on average under the Republican proposal. [HHS, 2/2/12]

“I strongly support the rule announced today because in the year 2012, women should not be denied access to contraception. Ninety-nine percent of women in America have used contraception at some point in their lives, and contraceptive services play a critical role in maintaining women’s health. Whether women choose to use contraception should be their decision, not the decision of their employers or politicians in Washington.

“The rule announced by President Obama today guarantees that all women will have access to free contraception coverage through their employers, while protecting the religious freedom of faith-based institutions.

“I hope Republicans will support this reasonable decision, which has already gained support from both the Catholic Health Organization and Planned Parenthood, instead of trying to impose their will on American women by denying them access to contraception. I will oppose Republican efforts to move the goalposts on this issue, including their extreme legislation that would allow any employer to deny coverage for a range of critical health services for women based on vaguely defined personal objections. American women have a right to make their own health decisions, and Democrats will fight to protect that right.”