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A House Republican lawmaker likened the implementation of a new mandate that insurers offer coverage for contraceptive services to Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks against the United States.
Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly (R), an ardent opponent of abortion rights, said that today's date would live in infamy alongside those two other historic occasions. Wednesday marked the day on which a controversial new requirement by the Department of Health and Human Services, which requires health insurance companies to cover contraceptive services for women, goes into effect.
"I know in your mind you can think of times when America was attacked. One is December 7th, that's Pearl Harbor day. The other is September 11th, and that's the day of the terrorist attack," Kelly said at a press conference on Capitol Hill. "I want you to remember August the 1st, 2012, the attack on our religious freedom. That is a day that will live in infamy, along with those other dates."
Republicans cried foul when the Obama administration first announced the new rule, reasoning that it would force employers with a religious affiliation to act in a way that contradicts their beliefs. The outcry included criticism from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and President Obama subsequently announced a compromise in which employers wouldn't be forced to offer insurance plans that cover contraception, but insurance companies would be required to offer coverage to women who wish to purchase it.
Republicans rejected the compromise, and subsequently attempted several times to advance legislation to reverse the mandate. The imbroglio contributed to Democratic charges of a GOP-led "war on women."
"This is a right that every American should be outraged, outraged about what this administration and Secretary Sibelius has set forth here on August the 1st," New York Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R) said at the same press conference as Kelly. "And as Mike said, August the 1st is a day that we as American will look at as the largest assault on our First Amendment rights."
*UPDATE* Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye, a veteran of World War II, condemned Kelly's comments in a statement.
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No, for a company to deduct pay (that's what healthcare insurance is, a non taxable, payroll benefit) and dictate what the compensation will be based on their moral beliefs (regardless of the employees beliefs) is very wrong. Unless the company is offering cash in lieu of insurance you are extremely wrong, bordering on religious fanaticism.
I'm ashamed to admit I'm a Republican, with misguided statements like this. No one is being forced to take contraceptives, and if you are honest about the effects of unwanted pregnancy, it needs to be the woman's choice not a dippy politician.
I'm looking for all the posters that claim the democratic party is avoiding the economy issue with it's pro-gay marriage platform.
Because fighting for women to stay pregnant and barefoot creates jobs how exactly??
Looks to me like women are supposed to ditch birth control altogether. The drug companies will make a killing on sales at full price---there are NO generics that I know of---and the HMO's can quit complaining. Must be wonderful to be a Republican of either gender---oh, wait...there is NO gender in the Republican party! They are all ignorant, religious freaks of nature!!!
Day that will live in infamy, huh, I wonder how many people even know it happening today and next month, I doubt anyone will even remember the exact day.
Republicans, these are you monkey, could you at least pretend to put them on leashes so they don't bite the kids. Only a rabid animal would say something so GD stupid. And republican women, WTF, the day you get female only services for free some men leading your party equate it to Pearl Harbor or 9/11. But I guess you don't have to time for an opinion, hubby needs his undies cleaned and dinner cooked.
I just hope that Democrats use all these new "FREE" medical procedures to eliminate their children so that in a generation or two there will no longer be any Democrats.
Unfortunately Democrats are teaching many people to be dependent on big government. That means they are no longer able to support themselves and the rest of us that do support ourselves have to pay far more taxes to pay for those new dependents.
What?
I was thinking the same for republicans. The less, the better.
JAMES, you don't look like such a healthy specimen to me. I suggest you worry more about your own existence rather than the future children of Democrats.
And that aside, I thought it was your crowd that bitched endlessly about "Welfare Queens" with 14 children, bleeding the taxpayer. Now you whine about contraceptives. Make up your damn mind.
THE government HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!!~!!
Insurance companies are expanding services provided to all women to encourage them if they are in need of contraception to ensure unwanted pregnancies are avoided.
THERE ARE NO PROCEDURES!!!!
Your arguments are as convoluted and nonsensical as yourself. You Sir are the problem!!!
Are you silly? In what way are democrats stupid? For trying to have the right to choose for themselves. This new law is not FORCING anyone to take birth control. If you are against it, great. Don't buy it. I hope you realize people take birth control for many other health reasons. And even if they want it to prevent pregnancy, they should have the right to do so. Would you rather that, or abortions?
Your statement is pretty ignorant. Saying that everyone that is a democrat is dumb and that you hope this new free care will eliminate their children so that there wont be any more democrats. You just sound like an idiot to me, haha. There are some stupid democrats, and some smart ones. There are some stupid republicans, and some smart ones. You happen to be one of the stupid ones. Very ignorant you are. We need both parties.
You should probably think before you speak. But you must be incapable of that.
"Insurance companies are expanding services" Who the hell do you think is paying for this? Do you think the pharmaceutical companies are donating their vast supplies of birth control out of the goodness of their hearts. I'm personally not against birth control, but I am for fiscal responsibility and I don't believe this will promote either. We will still be supporting the children of the idiots that don't take them.
The only people getting rich off this are the pharmaceutical companies and I'm sure they're part of the 1% you all cry about. Believe me I would love to see this work...I truly don't want to pay for any more children on welfare. Time will tell.
Actually - the insurance companies aren't dumb - it is cheaper to provide birth control than pay for births
And get over it - if you want to rail against pharmaceutical companies - then rail against the fact they only pay 6% in Federal Income Taxes - repeat 6% in Federal Income Taxes
How do I know? I worked 20 years in the Tax Division of a Fortune 50 pharmaceutical company - they were on the phone every week with their competitors to make sure they fixed the books and nobody paid more than the magic number of 6%
When and only when the Republicans cut the Oil Companies off "Corporate Welfare" will your asinine comment mean anything at all! And Corporations will be people when we can execute them for the murders they commit in the name of profit...you freaking tool!
Since when does "Religious Freedom" translate to the imposition of one's religious belief on everyone else?
If this guy is such a proponent of religious freedom, he would understand that women who don't share his crazy religious fanaticism have the right to make decisions in their best interest based their own moral frameworks, not his.
So tired of this self-righteous hypocrisy. Get these psychotic ideologues out of our nation's offices.
Who is forcing everyone else to use contraception? No one. You still have the choice, but its just covered under your healthcare. You have no argument here. No one is enforcing anything.
I will remember August 1, 2012 as the late, great Jerry Garcia's birthday!
I just called this moron's office in Wash. and told the reception person also that contraception stops unwanted pregnancies. He responded the "religious freedom" spin. That is was impeding religious freedom.
I told him both he and the Rep were just denying the fact that the Church runs BUSINESSES! Those businesses employ people who are not catholic. They provide health insurance AS A BUSINESS! The insurance company offers options to the employees based on WHO THEY ARE -- Male or female, old or young, poor or good vision etc... Each person may require a medication that others DO NOT REQUIRE!!
The Church is NOT INVOLVED IN PAYING FOR OR PRESCRIBING ANY MEDICATION!!
End of story.
Just Vote this and other idiots like him out of office, please.
If you don't want to use contraception, you don't have to use it. There's your religious freedom right there.
Once again, the GLOOM AND DOOM DRAMA from the REPUBLICAN RIGHT. Oh, my God, let's go back to 1950, when blacks and women knew their place. When there was no industrial China or India. We have NO new ideas BUT we are AGAINST ANY IDEAS. All we have to do is GO BACKWARDS to the way things were. DOOM AND GLOOM. DOOM AND GLOOM. GOD IS GOING TO PUNISH US FOR THINKING.
What hyprocrites these Republicans are.
Who is protesting this...Catholics? Why do they think they can thrust their insane religious views on a secular society. I'm not going to get into every problem I have with the Catholic Church, but I grew up in a strict Catholic household and 20 years later I'm still screwed up. The church needs to join the 21st century or disband.
Freedom = Don't want an abortion? Don't get one.
No one is trying to force birth control pills down anyones throat!!! Why
does the right want to force women to have children they do not want?
Because if you have sex for pleasure then you should be punished with an unwanted pregnancy. That's what this is really about.
What a moron....Pearl Harbor? 9/11? Seriously? As so many people have stated here, no one is forcing anyone to use birth control....ahem...it is a PERSONAL choice...the only issue that I have against birth control is that is all the smart people are using it, that just leaves the Republicans...pretty soon we will be taken over....oh no...
Comparing contraception to Pearl Harbor or 9/11 is an enormous insult to those who died in those events, and perhaps even more so to their families. What an idiot!
BIN, and not only that, having an imbecile and religeous zealot like this serving in our Congress is an insult to the entire nation.
Sadly, "crazy" sells in the modern GOP. You need only look at Michele Bachmann, she's already raised in excess of one million for her campaign, the most of any GOP Congress person.
The answer to this is simple. This November, vote everyone of these T-Party idiots out of office. Every one of them is up for re-election. I can't believe that even in the red-est districts, there isn't enough of a modicum of intelligence sufficient to see that these folks are dangerous! GET OUT THE VOTE!!!
Just because it is offered, no one if forcing a woman to go against her religious beliefs. And, it covers more than just contraceptives...
Wow, so this idiot is comparing the horrific events of Pearl Harbor and 9/11 with women receiving birth control (which prevents abortions, physical issues women deal with and population control) - it is overwhelming to me what this person is thinking in terms of a women's right to choose and making decisions about a woman's body. GOP has no business controlling what I do with my body! Put your energy into working for the American people and going across the aisle to TRY TO work with the Democratic Party. You work for us and We the People deserve an ongoing communication so both parties can get our government working together - I am so tired of the party of NO - GOPers are so misguided. I was a Republican, but NO MORE, they are too out of touch...onward Obama!
The Taliban of our time want to impose on all of us their idea of morality, religion, health care, politics, economy etc. They will be asking for women to be stoned next. There are now two groups that I keep my eye on. One is Republicans the new breed that is that has hijacked the old GOP and Islam and what they have in mind. I am wary of both of them.
Republicans, piece of advice, stick to economic issues. You lose more members and public support when you open your mouth on social issues.
Signed, an Independant who misses the old republican party.
Religious freedom? Don't use contraception if you don't agree with it (or your claimed religion does not allow it). Have a little personal responsibility though and DO NOT attempt to force YOUR religious convictions onto ME or any of my fellow Americans.
MY religion dictates that you cannot [fill in blank] while you MUST [fill in blank] so I need a law that forces all of my employees to NOT do any of those forbidden things AND TO DO the required things under my claim of religious freedoms.
F'ing idiots. They probably think the USA is a Christian nation and all other religions are wrong.
Women: it is ok to break with your church, your right-wing political party, your husband, and a misogynous morality, and vote for you - your interests. You don't have to take the abuse. The poling booth is private and you have the right to make up your own mind.