海角大神

So what does contraception at a Catholic hospital or college have to do with a $109 billion highway bill?

Nothing, it would seem. 聽

But US senators can propose amendments on any subject. And the Obama administration鈥檚 proposed rule requiring church-affiliated organizations to provide health insurance that covers contraception has turned toxic.

It has thrown the White House back on defense after a rare spike of good economic news. It鈥檚 also dividing Democratic ranks at a time when both the White House and top Democratic leaders are urging a display of unity.

And that brings us back to the highway bill.

Senate Republicans wanted to get a vote on the matter as soon as possible. The amendment, proposed by Rep. Roy Blunt (R) of Missouri, would allow employers the right to provide employees with health coverage 鈥渃onsistent with their religious beliefs and moral convictions,鈥� without risk of federal penalties.

鈥淭his bill would just simply say that those health-care providers don鈥檛 have to follow that mandate if it violates their faith principles,鈥� said Senator Blunt in a floor speech on Thursday.

The measure, cosponsored by Sen. Ben Nelson (D) of Nebraska,聽prompted an objection by Senate majority leader Harry Reid, which blocked a floor vote.

鈥淩epublicans never lose an opportunity to mess up a good piece of legislation,鈥� he said.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e talking about a First Amendment right and I appreciate that,鈥� but there鈥檚 no final rule," he said, suggesting that the rule is not yet set in stone. "Why don鈥檛 we just calm down and see what the final rule is.鈥�

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops is not waiting. The USCCB,聽which initially opposed the health-care reform bill in 2010 in the fear that abortions could be federally funded, has called on Catholics across the nation to write to their elected representatives to protest the proposed rule.

鈥淣ever before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their conscience,鈥� said USCCB President and Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan.

On Wednesday, Speaker John Boehner (R) of Ohio pledged to overturn the rule.

While some Roman Catholic Democrats, such as Sens. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, John Kerry of Massachusetts, and Claire McCaskill of Missouri,聽have called on the White House to back off the proposed rule, others 鈥� also Roman Catholics 鈥� are rallying around the president.

鈥淚 am dumbfounded that in the year 2012 we still have to fight over birth control,鈥� said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) of New York, in a statement on Thursday.

鈥淚t is sad that we have to stand here yet again to fight back against another overreach and intrusion into women鈥檚 lives. This is what it is 鈥� a political overreach to roll back access to birth control 鈥� not a religious issue,鈥� she added.聽