Written by Don Byrd
On Monday, Representative Diane Black (R-TN) introduced the Health Care Conscience Rights Act of 2013, H.R. 940. This bill would amend the Affordable Care Act to exempt all employers and organizations from the contraception mandate if they have a religious or moral objection. The Tennessean reports conservative Tony Perkins, the head of the Family Research Council, believes the bill should be attached to other legislation for leverage.
Perkins said he thinks the bill will pass the House of Representatives, but it will likely fail in the Senate.
That’s why Perkins and other supporters want the language of the bill to eventually be added to another bill that is likely to pass. He’d like to see it added to the continuing resolution that Congress uses to fund the federal government.
“It has to be added to a piece of must-sign legislation,” he said.
Clearly, a bill this problematic could not get through both houses on its own. Could it get tied up in all the budget mess? Stay tuned.
