The other day I urged you, in unity with the USCCB, to contact your Senator’s offices and express your opposition to the passing of S. 2578, the ‘Protect Women’s Health From Corporate Interference Act of 2014’. This would have gravely undermined religious freedom in these USA. In the wake of SCOTUS’s recent Hobby Lobby decision, Sens. Mark Udall (D-CO) and Patty Murray (D-WA), both pro abortion, are behind the bill.
What was voted on today? Question: On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S.2578 )
The vote was 56-43 to move ahead on the measure, short of the 60 votes necessary to proceed.
So, cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to this horrid bill.
Ironically, the majority leader (for now) Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) changed his vote to “No”, thus becoming the only Dem to vote with the opposition, and entered a motion to reconsider the failed cloture vote some time.
Republicans Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark S. Kirk (R-IL) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voted with nearly all Democrats in favor of cloture (thus, in favor of this freedom attacking bill).
How the vote went HERE. Check to see how your Senators voted and file that away in the back of your mind.
I read at Life News:
Senate Defeats Democrats’ Bill to “Overturn” Supreme Court Decision Protecting Hobby Lobby
Senate Democrats today lost their bid to approve legislation to “overturn” the Supreme Court’s decision protecting Hobby Lobby and other companies from being forced to comply with the HHS mandate that compels them to pay for abortion-causing drugs for their employees.
Republicans were able to sustain their filibuster against the bill and prevailed on a 56-43 vote, with Democrats voting to move to a vote on the pro-abortion bill and Republicans uniting to vote against it.
[…]
Well done, those of you who called your senators. Don’t be complaisant.
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Voting for the bill to proceed is not the same being for the bill. You may wish the bill to proceed to the floor for open debate. This is why Harry Reid voted against the proceeding. Reid does not like to bring a bill to the floor for discussion let alone voting unless he knows he has the votes to pass it.
There was probably a fair amount of cloakroom angst here, with some Dems not wanting to have to vote for this bill. At any rate, by voting No on cloture, Reid made himself eligible to enter a motion for reconsideration. It’s not dead yet.
The motion to reconsider can only be made by someone who voted on the winning side of the original vote. It’s normal for someone on the losing side to change his/her vote at the last minute in order to be on the winning side and be able to bring the issue up for a new vote later. [Yes, it was a procedural maneuver. It is nonetheless ironic. “He voted against it before he voted for it”, and all.]
This is not a victory. THIS INSANE PIECE OF LEGISLATION GOT 56 VOTES IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE!!!!!!!!!!
And with respect to ‘Mightnotbeachristiantou’: in practical political terms voting for cloture usually, and when I say usually I mean 99.999% of the time, means that you want it to pass and to become law. I don’t have clue what Harry Reid was doing though I suspect that jhayes is probably on to something.
I like Fr. Longenecker’s advice here: Ten Things to Remember if Pope Francis upsets you.
I love living in Texas (not originally from here), because my senators do a pretty good job standing up for sanity. As much as I would like Texas to secede, I think the U.S. needs Texas. Now if we could just do something about the Keep Austin Weird folks…
Father Z taught me a new word. Complaisant. Different than complacent.
Yes, Priam1184. Yes. Not a victory. A ticking time bomb. Just like Burwell v. Hobby Lobby.
Deo gratias. We have been saved from the Party of Death, and their feckless cheerleaders at the chanceries… this time around.
I think it would not be remiss for me to stop at the Poor Clares on the way home this afternoon and pray a Rosary that souls gone astray may yet be converted. Anybody care to join me?
I am grateful to learn that my two soon-to-be Senators both voted against cloture.
Keith Töpfer
Everyone should thank every single Republican who voted against cloture. Reid and the Democrats knew the bill would never come to the floor in the House even if it passed in the Senate. The reason for the vote was so that in November they can run attack ads against those who voted against cloture. Standing up for the rights of Catholics and the minority of other Christian communities not to pay for contraception is difficult in a culture where 99% of the population uses contraception. The Democrats know that their economic policies won’t win elections. So, they drive voters to the polls by their radical social agenda (abortion, free contraception, homosexual marriage).
In 1993, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (which this bill would gut) passed the U.S. Senate 97-3! It was introduced in the House by then Rep. Chuck Schumer! Wake up Catholics! Our faith is under attack in this country and we don’t even know it!
If you didn’t email before, please send an email of thanks to your senator. Let them know that you appreciate them standing up for us, even though they might not personally understand why we care about this issue.
Just as I had predicted, Toomey NO, Casey YES! I did send both of them my comments. Thanks for posting this.
I called my Democrat Senator Mary Landrieu’s office in Washington to comment on her vote. to allow the bill to come to the floor.
Her spokeswoman gave non answers like–well she just voted to bring it to the floor for a vote. I asked how she intended to vote on it if it were to come to the floor. Her answer was that she has not commented on how she would vote. That means that she will vote how Harry Reid tells her too. Then she will come to the state when she is doing her “appearances” and present herself as truly concerned about everyone here. She is counting on her voting base in and around New Orleans where her brother is mayor to win this for her–New Orleans politics is like Chicago politics for Democrats.
SOMETHING MORE WICKED IS COMING! Stay Alert!
http://www.lifenews.com/2014/07/14/senate-democrats-to-hold-hearing-on-bill-to-wipe-out-every-single-pro-life-law-on-abortion/