Narrow Defeat of Religious Liberty Amendment in the U.S. Senate

Today, the United States Senate voted to defeat the Blunt Amendment, disregarding the First Amendment and the best of our country’s traditions, not to mention its foundational principles. The vote was narrow, 51-48, but a defeat nonetheless. As explained here, the amendment would have provided comprehensive conscience protection to all stakeholders within the health insurance system, including institutions of all religious beliefs and denominations. It would have been the first blow to th... Continue Reading

Filed in: ObamaCare | by Geoffrey Surtees | 2:38 PM Feb. 29, 2012

Senate Set to Vote on Obama's Abortion Pill Mandate

Obama signs prescription drug executive order in Washington

Tomorrow, March 1, the United States Senate will vote on Senator Roy Blunt’s amendment to restore the conscience rights recently trampled underfoot by the Health and Human Services mandate, which forces religious and prolife institutions to provide insurance that covers abortion-inducing drugs. The vote comes two weeks after Senate Majority Leader Reid said he would allow a vote on the amendment before going back on his word and precluding the vote. Unless Reid has another parliamentary tr... Continue Reading

Filed in: ObamaCare | by Geoffrey Surtees | 1:12 PM Feb. 15, 2012

Obama Stonewalls on Abortion Drug Mandate as Senate Votes

U.S. Democratic Presidential nominee Obama is pictured during a rally in Bristow

Later today, the Senate is expected to vote on an amendment that would revoke the provision of President Obama’s mandate that forces religious and prolife institutions to violate their religious beliefs by providing insurance coverage for abortion drugs. The Administration’s ongoing and repeated claims that opposition to the contraceptive mandate is playing politics is nothing short of ironic, not to mention disingenuous. Indeed, what the President and his administration pulled last... Continue Reading

Filed in: Iran | by Matthew Clark | 5:09 PM Oct. 7, 2011

Senator Blunt Joins Call to Save Pastor, Condemns Iran’s Failure to Protect Religious Freedom

Senator Roy Blunt (MO) has prepared the following statement to be entered into the Senate record when the Senate comes back into session on Tuesday. We thank him for his support for Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani and commitment to religious liberty around the world. I would like to take a few moments to draw the Senate's attention to a troubling situation abroad. By now many following the news have heard of the name Youcef Nadarkhani. Pastor Youcef is a Christian in Iran who has been sentenced to death for refusing to deny his faith. He was originally arrested in October 2009, while attempting to register his church. He allegedly questioned the Muslim monopoly on the religious instruction of children in the state. To Iran, his crime is his Christian faith and evangelism, and the punishment is death. For as many problems as we face in America, we are blessed that this is not one of them. The American Center for Law and Justice and other national groups have been diligently working... Continue Reading