Senate GOP Just Voted To Support A Boss’s Right To Choose Birth Control For Women

Senate Republicans minutes ago told every woman across America that they support not a woman’s right to chose her birth control, but a boss’s right to enter into that intimate health care decision.

The Democratic-led U.S. Senate was stymied this afternoon by the Republican minority who successfully filibustered discussion on a bill designed to remedy the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision. Sixty “yea” votes were needed, which would have required several members of the GOP to cross the aisle. They did not.

The bill, known as the Protect Women’s Health From Corporate Interference Act, was designed to “ensure that employers cannot interfere in their employees’ birth control and other health care decisions,” according to the legislation.

In short, the Supreme Court decision will force countless women to pay the full cost of their contraception needs, including those who are medically required to use contraception for medical reasons not associated with birth control. Those costs, contrary to conservatives’ claims that condoms are cheap, can run all over $1000 annually — no small expense, for example, for the millions of women who make minimum wage or slightly higher.

Senate Republicans put forth legislation which did nothing more than state that women are, today, legally able to but any FDA-approved form of contraception they would like, out of pocket, with their own money. 

The 56-43 vote was strictly along party lines, except for two Republican Senators — Mark Kirk of Illinois and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Majority Leader Harry Reid, voted “nay” for procedural purposes — so he could bring the vote up again — and promised to do so.

The bill was dubbed the “not my boss’s decision bill,” or, on Twitter, simply #NotMyBossBusiness.

We are going to vote again on this issue before the year is out. #NotMyBossBusiness

— Senator Harry Reid (@SenatorReid) July 16, 2014

Othe Democrats expressed thier displeasure on Twitter as well.

Shameful that Senate Republicans have blocked the #NotMyBossBusiness Act that would combat the #HobbyLobby decision: http://t.co/ewUapBQA1D

— D Wasserman Schultz (@DWStweets) July 16, 2014

Women & families just watched the GOP vote against them & let CEOs deny coverage for birth control & other health care #NotMyBossBusiness

— Sen. Barbara Boxer (@SenatorBoxer) July 16, 2014

It’s about equal access to quality health care, no matter your employer or gender. #NotMyBossBusiness pic.twitter.com/unM8xrai9T

— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) July 16, 2014

This fight is far from over. I’ll be working w/ my colleagues & the incredible advocates to right this wrong. -PM #NotMyBossBusiness

— Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) July 16, 2014

Meanwhile, Sen. Rand Paul used the vote to make a statemnt:

KY’s @SenRandPaul just cast the decisive 41st vote filibustering the #HobbyLobby legislative fix. #BirthControl is #NotMyBossBusiness

— Scott Wooledge (@Clarknt67) July 16, 2014

Here’s the complete list:

Grouped By Vote Position

 

 

Image by American Life League via Flickr