Warren hits Sen. Brown over bill to reverse birth-control mandate

Democratic Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren released a new radio ad critical of congressional Republicans — including her opponent, incumbent Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) — for the recent debate over contraceptive access.

The ad largely echoes comments Warren made last week as she and Brown traded lobs over the senator's support for a Republican-backed bill that sought to overturn an Obama administration regulation that required employers to provide coverage for contraception, regardless of their religious beliefs. The bill would allow employers to deny coverage for any service an employer felt ran contrary to their moral beliefs.

"This is a completely new attack that threatens everyone's health care," Warren said in a statement last Wednesday. "This bill would allow any employer or insurance company to refuse to cover anyone for anything."

Brown returned fire in his own statement, saying Warren was trying to oppress religious employers.

"Now, it is Harvard Professor Elizabeth Warren who has assumed the mantle of oppressor," Brown said in a statement. "She and her allies on the left are dictating to Catholics and other people of faith that they must do as they are told when it comes to health care or face the consequences."

In the ad, Warren opens with criticism for a panel convened by House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) on the mandate and religious freedom, the first session of which featured no women speaking about access to birth control.

"A few days ago I watched a congressional hearing about birth control, where the panel of experts did not include even one woman," Warren says in the ad. "Wow. Washington really doesn’t get it."

The ad then pivots to a criticism of the Senate bill, defending President Obama's altered rule that would require insurers to cover contraception in instances where religious institutions objected.

"Now, the Senate is about to vote on a new law, proposed by Republicans, that allows your employer or insurance company to claim a vague ‘moral conviction’ to deny you contraception or any health care coverage they want," Warren says. "This new law threatens women’s access to contraception, mammograms, even maternity care. It’s just plain wrong."

The Senate hopeful then defends the president's approach to the contraception legislation.

"This isn’t about the rights of religious institutions. We must respect those rights, President Obama already made sure that religious institutions can’t be forced to cover birth control. But the president also made sure that women can get the health care they need. That's the right approach," Warren says.

The Massachusetts Senate race has become one of the most closely watched November battles, pitting the popular Republican senator — who won the late Ted Kennedy's seat in a special election — against Warren, an influential former administration official.

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