CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS
Feb. 28, 2012 – 10:59 p.m.

GOP Conservatives Grab Chance To Pivot Toward Social Issues

An upcoming Senate vote on the administration’s requirement that insurance companies cover birth control for employees of religious-affiliated institutions is inspiring conservative Republicans to press for more election year votes on family planning and abortion.

Roy Blunt of Missouri, Orrin G. Hatch of Utah and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire say they have been looking for a chance to add what they view as moral issues to a GOP agenda focused on jobs, fuel prices and the budget deficit. The conservatives see political benefits for their party in an occasional pivot to social issues.

And such votes may very well happen. “If Republicans want more votes on issues like this, bring it on,” said a senior Democratic aide.

The Senate will vote Thursday on Blunt’s amendment to a surface transportation bill (S 1813) intended to counter the administration’s position requiring contraception coverage even if an employer opposes birth control on religious grounds. “It’s a huge issue for us. I’ve seen some polling on this. It is pretty evenly divided,” Blunt said.

But Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin of Illinois said Democrats also envision political benefits from voting on birth control, and suggested the majority will entertain votes on other social issues that divide the parties. “Ours is a mainstream position shared not only by Democrats but by many independents,” Durbin said.

A Senate showdown is almost certain over a House-passed proposal (HR 358) that would prohibit use of federal health insurance subsidies under the 2010 health care law (PL 111-148, PL 111-152) to buy coverage that does not exclude abortion except in cases of rape, incest or when a pregnant woman’s life is endangered by continuing her pregnancy.

The administration has threatened a veto of any such measure. President Obama issued an executive order banning federal funding of abortion, but the GOP wants a statutory prohibition.

Hatch vows to press for a vote on the House-passed proposal, but says he will wait until the Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of parts of the health care overhaul.

Hatch said he and his conservative colleagues are facing some pushback within the Republican caucus as they press for votes on social issues. “I don’t know many that really want to get into that right now, when we know that the principal problems in our society are the economy and jobs,” he added.

In order to offset such reservations, Ayotte, Blunt and Florida Republican Marco Rubio have revived a social conservative faction of the GOP caucus they call the Senate Values Action Team. The group has been meeting monthly to hear speakers and presentations by conservative groups.

“I don’t think you can separate the soulful and moral well-being of your people from their economic well-being. They are interrelated,” Rubio said.

Ayotte has also been pushing the administration to justify its decision not to renew a grant to the U.S. Conference of Bishops for counseling victims of sex trafficking.

And Rubio has taken the lead on a proposal (S 1241) to require advance notice to parents if a child seeks an out-of-state abortion, and to set criminal penalties for those who take girls across state lines for abortions without parental notification.