“Today the Senate will vote on a extreme ideological
amendment to the transportation bill,” said Reid. “[T]his amendment has
no place on a transportation bill.”
The amendment would reverse the Obama administration’s
ruling that health plans must offer contraception coverage, even those offered
by church-related organizations. A vote on the amendment should begin just after 11 a.m. on Thursday.
Early last month Reid refused to allow a vote on the amendment, which could create
perils for Democrats on the campaign trail later this year. Republicans
made it clear, however, that without a vote they would prevent progress on
the underlying highway bill, which Democrats say would create or save about 2.8
million jobs.