http://online.wsj.com/articles/senate-bill-against-hobby-lobby-decision-fails-1405537082WASHINGTON—Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked
Democrats' effort to undermine the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision, ending a round of partisan jousting aimed at capturing women's votes in the fall.
A bill from Senate Democrats designed to restore employers' responsibility to provide contraception coverage under the Affordable Care Act was defeated 56-43 on a procedural vote. It sought to prevent companies from using a religious-freedom law to avoid complying with a requirement to cover all forms of contraception approved by the government without charging workers a copayment.
The vote to advance the legislation received the support of three Republicans—Sens. Mark Kirk (R., Ill.), Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska) and Susan Collins (R., Maine)—and nearly the entire Democratic caucus, but came up short of the 60 votes needed.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.), who voted against the bill so that he can revive it later, said the Senate would vote again on the issue before year's end.