Here We Go Again - House GOP Tags Must-Pass Bill With Anti-Contraceptive Rider, Threatens Shutdown

If you had told me when I was a young man that one day, one of America's major political parties would repeatedly introduce amendments to must-pass legislation attempting to make contraceptives less available to women, I wouldn't have believed you. If you had told me during or after the Clinton presidency that the GOP would one day threaten not one but two government shutdowns as blackmail in the run-up to an election, I'd have laughed you out of the room. Yet that is exactly what's happening. Sahil Kapur of TPM informs us of the GOP insanity:

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House Republicans renewed their effort Wednesday by advancing a measure through the Labor-HHS appropriations subcommittee with a rider to roll back President Obama’s contraception mandate. Authorized by the Affordable Care Act, the rule requires employer-provided health insurance plans to cover contraception without co-pays, with carve-outs for churches and religious non-profits. Republicans on the panel defeated a Democratic amendment to strip the provision, suggesting they’re willing to pick the fight.

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Senate Republicans have clearly indicated their preference for avoiding the fight altogether, and extending funding for government programs through the election at levels the parties agreed upon during last August debt limit fight. Under pressure, the House GOP leadership appears to be warming to that idea, lest they be held accountable for inciting a government shutdown weeks before Election Day.

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Republicans took a beating earlier this year after their failed push to roll back Obama’s contraception rule in its entirety, a battle that yielded significant gains for President Obama among women voters. The GOP eventually backed off, recognizing the toxicity of the issue. ...

Just another battle in the GOP War on Women...