Senate Debate Over Content of Health Care Reform Bill Includes Religious Liberty and Church-State Questions

Last week the Religion Clause Blog provided an inventory of provisions in both the Senate health care reform bill, the America's Healthy Future Act of 2009, and proposed amendments that would be particularly significant to those concerned about religious liberty and church-state issues. Such provisions address abortion services, conscience exemptions for health care providers, spiritually based health care, grants to faith-based groups, and funding for abstinence education. Today's Washington Post reports that the Senate Finance Committee voted 13-10 to reject one such amendment, a proposal by Senator Orrin Hatch that would have required women electing to join a new insurance exchange buy a separate policy to cover abortion services. The vote was largely on party lines with one Democrat, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, supporting the Hatch amendment and one Republican, Maine's Olympia J. Snowe, voting against the proposal.

JFB