The U.S. Senate has voted to block legislation which would have rescinded the Obama Administration’s contraception mandate.  The U.S. Senate rejected an amendment offered by U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) which would have exempted religious organizations from including contraceptive and abortion drug coverage in their health insurance plans. 

The U.S. Senate voted 51-48 to kill Senator Blunt’s legislation, known as the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act.  Illinois’ own Senator Dick Durbin supported President Obama’s mandate by voting to table, and thus end debate, on Blunt’s proposal. 

As we pointed out in a previous article, Senator Blunt’s amendment would have provided that no health plan would have been required to include items or services in its “essential benefits package” which are “contrary to the religious beliefs or moral convictions of the sponsor, issuer, or other entity offering the plan.” 

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently announced that virtually all health insurance plans in the United States must include contraceptives in their “preventative services benefits,” including all contraceptive drugs and devices approved by the Food and Drug Administration.  Contraceptives endorsed by the FDA include the abortifacient drugs Ella and Plan  B. 

The Obama Administration provided a narrow exemption from the law for organized churches, which will take effect August 1st.  However, all other religious organizations such as hospitals, schools, charities, and parachurch ministries will be required to comply with the law by August 1, 2013.  

The new regulation means that Catholic institutions will be compelled to incorporate drugs and devices that contradict their doctrinal teachings in the health insurance coverage they provide their employees.  It is likely that Catholic institutions will eliminate group health insurance plans for their employees.  Otherwise, they will be required to pay fines of $100 per day per employee.  The House Energy and Commerce Committee estimated that a hospital with 100 employees could face an annual fine of $3.65 million. 

“What President Obama doesn’t seem to understand is that this debate is not about cost,” says Senator Blunt.  “Nor is this debate about contraception.  It’s about faith and who controls the religious views of faith-based institutions.  Based on his statements and recent actions, it’s clear that President Obama believes he should have that control.  Our Constitution says otherwise.” 

During debate on the Senate floor, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said that the new abortion drug mandate would “make it impossible, for the first time, for religious institutions to practice what they preach…The Obama Administration wants to be the ones to tell religious institutions what their core mission is.  This isn’t a compromise.  It’s a government takeover.” 

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) says the contraceptive edict is one more example of the abusive nature of President Obama’s health care legislation.  “Our Bill of Rights has been subordinated to the President’s desire to micromanage the nation’s health care system.  Those of you who vote against this amendment are playing with fire.” 

And the fire is spreading.  The National Clergy Council has declared a “state of emergency” for churches in response to the contraceptive decree.  “The real issue here is not birth control.  The real issue is religious liberty and freedom of conscience,” says Norm Lund of the Clergy Council.  “It’s the freedom of individuals and their churches to determine their own moral views about contraception and abortion.” 

“Religious liberty is a sacred right,”Lundadded.  “It’s a the heart of the First Amendment.  It’s at the heart of what our ancestors have died for.  We feel a conviction that it’s time to stand up to government and say no.” 

Cardinal Francis George, the Archbishop of Chicago, has warned that Catholic hospitals across the country may be forced to close in the next two years if the contraceptive and abortion drug mandate is not withdrawn.  Cardinal George says that Catholic hospitals and institutions have four choices:  1) abandon their religious convictions; 2) pay exorbitant and punitive fines; 3) sell their institutions to non-Catholic entitites; or 4) shut down. 

“The Catholic Church would love to have the separation of church and state we thought we enjoyed just a few months ago, when we were free to run Catholic institutions in conformity with the demands of the Catholic faith, when the government couldn’t tell us which of our ministries are Catholic and which are not, when the protected rather than crushed conscience,” Cardinal George commented. 

“Freedom of worship was guaranteed in the Constitution of the formerSoviet Union,”  George continued.  “The church, however, could do nothing except conduct religious rites in places of worship–no schools, health care institutions, organized charity, ministry for justice, and the works of mercy that flow from a living faith.  All of these were co-opted by the government.  We fought a long cold war to defeat that vision of society.” 

“The state is now making itself into a church,” George concluded.  “It appears that freedom of conscience and of religion will become a memory from a happier past.” 

Please take a moment to watch this excellent video from Americans United for Life on this subject:

 Since it is now clear that Congress will not act to block this dictatorial action by the Obama Administration, please be praying that our President will re-evaluate his conscience and respect the religious convictions of Americans who value the sanctity of human life.