If Senate had 83 women-not 83 men-there would be no fight over contraception

WASHINGTON–Senate Democrats were able to beat back a move by Republicans to dilute contraception coverage in the new health care law on Thursday. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) had an insight well worth repeating: If there were 83 women in the Senate—instead of 83 men–the Senate would not be wasting its time on regulating female health matters.

My column on how Democrats tabled the Blunt amendment–and how GOP White House hopeful Mitt Romney talked himself into a knot over this–is HERE.

Sanders said from the Senate floor, “In Vermont and around the country, there is growing anger that members of Congress, mostly men I should add, are trying to roll back the clock on women’s rights, in this case the right of women to receive contraceptive services through their insurance plans.

“This attack is grossly unfair, and I hope that men will stand with women in the fight to protect this very basic right.

“Let me add my strong belief that if the United States Senate had 83 women and 17 men rather than 83 men and 17 women, my strong guess is that a bill like this would never even make it to the floor.”