Women Democratic Senators urge Boehner to 'nix' vote on birth control coverage rule

The 12 senators wrote a letter to the House Speaker, asking him not to hold a vote on proposals to expand exemptions from the Obama administration's birth control coverage mandate.

The Hill: Dem Women Senators Press Boehner To Nix Birth-Control Vote
Twelve Democratic women senators urged House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Thursday not to hold a vote on controversial proposals to let religious employers opt out of the Obama administration's contraception mandate. Republicans are downplaying the issue on their own after losing a Senate vote last week and seeing their narrative sidetracked by radio host Rush Limbaugh. Democrats have framed the issue around women's health, rather than religious freedom, and Thursday's letter to Boehner drove that theme home once more (Baker, 3/8).

MinnPost: Klobuchar, Democratic Women Urge Boehner To Skip Contraception Vote
Sen. Amy Klobuchar joined her 11 fellow Senate Democratic women in asking House Republican leadership to not bring up for a vote controversial legislation allowing employers to opt out of extending health care coverage to contraception. The senators wrote House Speaker John Boehner asking him to "abandon the promise you have made to bring legislation to the House floor similar to the Blunt amendment, which was defeated in the Senate last week, and which would turn the clock back on women's access to health care" (Henry, 3/8).

In related news -

The Associated Press: $100 Or $1,000? Wide Price Range For Birth Control
What does birth control really cost anyway? It varies dramatically, from $9 a month for generic pills to $90 a month for some of the newest brands -; plus a doctor's visit for the prescription. Want a more goof-proof option? The most reliable contraceptives, so-called long-acting types like IUDs or implants, can cost $600 to nearly $1,000 upfront to be inserted by a doctor. That's if you don't have insurance that covers at least some of the tab -; although many women do. And if those prices are too much, crowded public clinics offer free or reduced-price options. But it might take a while to get an appointment (Neergaard, 3/9).