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01 Mar 2012 14:23

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Politics: Sen. Roy Blunt’s health care “conscience” amendment voted down

  • 51-48 Senate defeat for the Blunt amendment source
  • » Roy Blunt, blunted: The amendment authored by the Missouri senator was a response, initially, to a very public dispute between the Catholic Church and the Obama administration over contraception insurance. If passed into law, it would have stated that any employers could deny a certain type of health care service if that service violated their religious beliefs, or moral conscience. The latter provision is the key one – there isn’t a stipulation as to what constitutes a moral objection, which means employers would have a great deal of power over workers’ health care. One person who might benefit from this failure? Mitt Romney, who publicly flip-flopped on it yesterday. He’d likely be happy just to have it out of the news cycle.

29 Feb 2012 21:26

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Politics: Romney reverses on Roy Blunt’s health care amendment

  • A few hours thought: Ever the maestro of hasty take-backs, reversals, and changes in direction, Mitt Romney today found himself on both sides of an amendment to the Affordable Care Act proposed by Missouri Senator Roy Blunt. Romney denies he meant to tell an interviewer “I’m not for the bill,” saying that he “misunderstood the question,” but given the perception of many GOP voters that he’s insufficiently conservative, the damage may be done. The Blunt amendment would allow employers to deny any health service that violates their religious, or moral convictions — a polarizing, red-hot issue that Romney might prefer not to deal with. (Photo by Gage Skidmoresource