Senate Democrats fought hard to restore the contraception mandate that the Supreme Court struck down last month. But as of today, the ruling still stands.
The Dems’ bill, which would have required companies to provide birth control coverage for female employees, was blocked by Senate Republicans Wednesday. The final count was 56 – 43 for the bill, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid switching his vote to “no” at the last minute, in a procedural move that will allow him to bring the issue back on the Senate table for another vote.
While there seems to be a deadlock between the two parties on this issue, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell said Republicans are planning to unveil an alternative to the mandate.
“We plan to introduce legislation this week that says no employer can block any employee from legal access to her FDA-approved contraceptives,” McConnell told The Hill. “There’s no disagreement on that fundamental point.”
Still, Democrats aren’t convinced.
Senate Patty Murray, co-author of the bill to reverse the original Supreme Court ruling, said: “Women should call the shots when it comes to their healthcare decisions. Not their boss. Not their government. Not anyone else. Period.”