Will the Maine Twins Defect on the HHS Mandate?

From National Review Online:

On Monday, Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine seemingly surrendered to President Obama on the contraception mandate, before the fight had begun.

“It appears that changes have been made that provide women’s health services without compelling Catholic organizations in particular to violate the beliefs and tenets of their faith,” Snowe said.

Collins made a similar statement: “While I will carefully review the details of the president’s revised proposal, it appears to be a step in the right direction.”

But there may be more fight in them yet. Although the senators support forcing insurance companies to cover contraception, they also seem open to an expansive religious-liberty exemption.

Since her early days in the Senate, Snowe has championed a contraception mandate. In May 1997, she introduced the Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act with Senator Harry Reid of Nevada. The bill would have required insurance companies that covered prescription drugs and devices to cover contraception as well. (Collins was a co-sponsor.)

Snowe based her case on cost-effectiveness and equity. Testifying before the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee in July 1998, Snowe argued, “With EPICC, prescription contraceptives will be covered like all prescription drugs, meaning a lot more Americans using birth control and a lot less abortions being performed. Sounds logical, doesn’t it?”

She lamented that “women spend 68 percent more in out-of-pocket health-care cost” because of their purchase of birth control. Moreover, insurance companies’ decision to cover Viagra, but not birth control, seemed unfair. “Why the difference in coverage?” Snowe asked. “It certainly can’t be cost. Even those insurance companies who have reduced their coverage to six pills per month still shell out $60 a month for Viagra, more than half the average cost at $25 for the pill each month.”

Snowe was unsuccessful in her efforts to impose the mandate on private employers. But in July 1999, the Senate unanimously approved an amendment offered by Snowe and Reid that forced insurance plans for federal employees to cover contraceptives.