Planned Parenthood has issued a statement condemning the Blunt Amendment and urging lawmakers to vote against it. Proposed by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), the amendment is intended to amend the Affordable Care Act to allow any employer or insurance company to opt out of covering a something they object to on religious or moral grounds and is a direct challenge to the administration’s requirement that coverage include free birth control, even after a rule change so that religious organizations don’t have to pay for that coverage. The Senate is expected to vote on the amdendment this week. From president Cecile Richards:
“Sen. Roy Blunt’s proposal is so out of the mainstream, it would allow any business or corporation to deny any essential health care service they object to, including coverage for birth control.
“As a trusted health care provider to one in five women in America, Planned Parenthood believes that women, regardless of where they work, should have access to health insurance that covers preventive health care, including birth control, with no co-pays.
“Yet, Sen. Blunt’s proposal would render the notion of health insurance meaningless, and give businesses and corporations effective veto power over their employee’s health care decisions.
“It’s clear that this is not about religious freedom, since the Blunt proposal would allow any business or corporation to deny any essential health care service they object to.
“That’s not health insurance, and that’s not what Americans want.
“Planned Parenthood urges Congress to reject this extreme proposal and stand up for women’s health.”
