Senate Democrats on Thursday narrowly defeated Republican legislation that would have protected religious universities and hospitals from an Obama administration rule requiring them to cover contraceptives under their employee health plans even if that violates the church’s beliefs.
The Senate voted 51-48 to kill an amendment offered by Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., after days of emotional debate on and off the chamber floor. Despite the defeat, the issue could be revived in the House, which is considering similar legislation that has the support of House Speaker John Boehner.
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“I think it is important for us to win this issue,” Boehner, R-Ohio, said Thursday. “Our government, for 220 years has respected the religious views of the American people, and for all of this time there has been an exception for those churches and other groups to protect the religious beliefs that they believe in, and that is being violated here.”
