Senate Dems to allow vote on mandated contraception and abortion coverage for workers for religious organizations

It is interesting how the media adopts the Obama administration language on the mandate that health insurance provide "contraception." I understand that "abortion" might be included by some as "contraception," but there is a distinction politically between stopping a pregnancy from occurring and ending a pregnancy. Yet, articles such as this one in The Hill newspaper refer only to "contraception."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) reversed positions on Tuesday, saying he would allow a vote on Sen. Roy Bunt’s (R-Mo.) amendment to repeal the Health and Human Services (HHS) rule that would require employers to provide health insurance that includes contraceptives even if they are morally opposed to it.

Two weeks ago, before the recess, Blunt attempted to offer the amendment but was stopped by Reid, who said it was a distraction from the underlying legislation and that the rule has not yet been finalized in the Obama White House.

But on Tuesday Reid said he saw no other way forward for the highway bill that has been foundering in the Senate for most of February. . . .

The vote, Reid said, will occur at an unspecified time on Thursday and will likely be accompanied by a number of other votes on amendments from both sides that are not germane to the underlying bill. Reid also added that if all goes well, the Senate could finish work on the underlying transportation bill by the end of next week.