ThinkProgress has learned that Christie has yet to respond to a letter from fellow Governor Chris Gregoire (D-WA) offering the blunt-speaking Christie advise on the issue. In the letter, dated Jan. 31, 2012, Gregoire wrote, “I have been on a personal journey, because while I am a Governor, I am also a Catholic.” “If you would like to talk, please give me a call.” The correspondence also contained a copy of Gregoire’s remarks upon announcing her support for marriage equality. Gregoire has received “no response to date,” her office confirms. Below is a copy of the letter:

Rather than considering equal marriage rights for gays and lesbians, however, Christie has largely dismissed his critics and called for a state referendum on the issue. During a press conference yesterday, the New Jersey governor referred to the senate’s passage of same-sex marriage bill as “a good bunch of theater” and told lawmakers, “it’s not going to happen.”

The proposed plank states: “We support the full inclusion of all families in the life of our nation, with equal respect, responsibilities, and protections under the law, including the freedom to marry. Government has no business putting barriers in the path of people seeking to care for their family members, particularly in challenging economic times. We support the Respect for Marriage Act and the overturning of the federal so-called Defense of Marriage Act, and oppose discriminatory constitutional amendments and other attempts to deny the freedom to marry to loving and committed same-sex couples.”

Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill tells Metro Weekly, “Leader Pelosi supports this language.”

The Democrats’ 2008 platform opposed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which the Obama administration is no longer defending in court, but took no position on marriage equality. Obama has said that he is still “evolving” on the issue, even as a growing number of Democratic lawmakers now support marriage. At least 91 Democrats in the House, including Democratic National Committee chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), and 23 senators back same-sex marriage. Twelve Democratic governors (and one Independent, Gov. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island) also favor full marriage rights.

Today, the Senate will hold a vote on a Republican substitute introduced by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), which would allow any and all insurers and employers to deny their employees health benefits and services required by federal law based on their personal religious or moral objections. The measure has 37 co-sponsors — including the GOP leadership, women Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski (AK), Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX), Kelly Ayotte (NH), Democrat Ben Nelson (NE), and Republican Scott Brown (MA). Brown has supported expansive conscience protections for religious organizations throughout his legislative career, but voted for a tougher contraception mandate as a Massachusetts state representative in 2002 and approved of a law requiring all hospitals — including Catholic institutions — to provide emergency contraception to rape victims in 2005.

After defending Obama’s rule last year, Democrats are now on the offensive. Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) have derided Blunt’s measure as “extreme” and “dangerous,” claiming that “It puts politics between women and their healthcare.” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) warned, “This would gut the protections that were established in the Affordable Care Act and open a Pandora’s box that allows employers to deny coverage for virtually anything they might object to” and yesterday, Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren told the Washington Post’s Greg Sargent that amendment would permit insurers or employers to discriminate against women:

“I am shocked that Senator Brown jumped in to support such an extreme measure,” Warren told me by phone just now. “This is an all new attack on health care. Any insurance company could leave anyone without health care, just when they need it most.” [...]

“This is an extreme attack on every one of us,” Warren said. “It opens the door to outright discrimination. It would let insurance companies and corporations cut off pregnant women, overweight guys, older Americans, or anyone — because some executive claims it’s part of his moral code. Maybe that wouldn’t happen, but I don’t want to take the chance.”

Indeed, under the measure, an insurer or an employer would be able to claim a moral or religious objection to covering HIV/AIDS screenings, Type 2 Diabetes treatments, cancer tests or anything else they deem inappropriate or the result of an “unhealthy” or “immoral” lifestyle. Similarly, a health plan could refuse to cover mental health care on the grounds that the plan believes that psychiatric problems should be treated with prayer.

Individuals too can opt out of coverage if it is contrary to their religious or moral beliefs, radically undermining “the basic principle of insurance, which involves pooling the risks for all possible medical needs of all enrollees.” As the National Women’s Law Center explains, Blunt’s language is vague enough that “insurers may be able to sell plans that do not cover services required by the new health care law to an entire market because one individual objects, so all consumers in a market lose their right to coverage of the full range of critical health services.” As a result, a man “purchasing an insurance plan offered to women and men could object to maternity coverage, so the plan would not have to cover it, even though such coverage is required as part of the essential health benefits.”

Significantly, two Republican women senators — Olympia Snowe (ME) and Susan Collins (ME) — have come out in support of Obama’s modified contraception rule and may oppose Blunt’s measure.

Read the full amendment here.

Fatima Najiy contributed to this post.

Catholic leaders will fight Obama’s contraception modification: “The top U.S. Catholic bishop vowed legislative and court challenges Tuesday to a compromise by President Barack Obama to his healthcare mandate that now exempts religiously affiliated institutions from paying directly for birth control for their workers, instead making insurance companies responsible. Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, who heads the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in an interview with The Associated Press that he trusted Obama wasn’t anti-religious and intended to make good on his pledge to work with religious groups to fine-tune the mandate.” [AP]

Lawmakers close to SGR deal: “Federal lawmakers on Tuesday evening inched closer to an agreement on a short-term solution to Medicare’s sustainable growth-rate formula for physicians. If Congress does not act by Feb. 29, doctors who participate in the federal healthcare program will face a 27.4% cut in their Medicare reimbursement.” [Modern Healthcare]

Health industry critical of Obama’s budget: “Tom Nickels, senior vice president of federal relations at the American Hospital Association, said providers, who already are dealing with payment cuts through regulatory and legislative changes, must also face nearly $130 billion in cuts over 10 years when sequestration kicks in next year. “It ignores the reality that we’re all already being cut 2%,” Nickels told Modern Healthcare. “And now they’ve cut on top of that.” [Modern Healthcare]

Alaska takes step towards exchanges: “Alaska has opposed the federal health law so adamantly that it is the only state that chose not to even apply for a $1 million grant the federal government was passing out to states to plan a health insurance exchange. But that doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be an online marketplace to buy insurance in Alaska.” [Kaiser Health News]

Iowa advances ultrasound bill: “A doctor would be required to perform an ultrasound on a woman seeking an abortion and give the woman an opportunity to view images of her fetus under legislation heard Tuesday in a House subcommittee. The bill, House File 2033, will be advanced to the Human Resources Committee.” [Des Moines Register]

Lee seeks to ban abortions in DC: “Sen. Mike Lee has introduced legislation that would ban abortions in the District of Columbia for women who have been pregnant longer than 20 weeks. The bill, introduced Monday, would add D.C. to a list of five conservative states that have a similar threshold, the point some doctors say an unborn child has developed the ability to feel pain.” [Salt Lake Tribune]

CHRISTIE: They’re gonna be nowhere near the votes to override in either chamber. And so hopefully we can move on from this issue. If they pass it on Thursday and send it to my desk, believe me I will take very swift action on the bill and then we can move on to the things the people of New Jersey say are most important to them, which is creating jobs, lowering taxes and continuing the New Jersey comeback and not the last month that we spent, which really is an act of theater on their part because they know it’s not going to happen.

Watch it:

The Senate voted 24-16 to advance the bill, three votes short of the 27 necessary to override such a veto. New Jersey already offers same-sex civil unions, but a commission found in 2008 that “the Civil Union Act invites and encourages unequal treatment of same-sex couples and their children.” Christie, who has previously said that he would like state residents to vote on the marriage rights of gay and lesbian couples, has claimed that he is offering LGBT equality advocates the “bargain of your life.”

Most Republicans are not satisfied with the modification, however, and are co-sponsoring legislation that would significantly broaden the conscience exclusion. On Monday night, Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) joined the pack, with a spokesperson telling the Washington Post’s Greg Sargent that the senator “appreciates President Obama’s willingness to revisit this issue, but believes it needs to be clarified through legislation” that would permit any employer or insurance plan to exclude any health service, no matter how essential, from coverage if they morally object to it.

But Massachusetts already requires insurers to carry contraceptive coverage for women and Brown voted for the provision as a member of the Massachusetts House on Jan. 30, 2002, ThinkProgress has learned. At the time, the Catholic Conference of Massachusetts, lobbied against the measure and urged lawmakers to adopt an amendment exempting organizations that are affiliated with the Catholic church or have a moral objection to contraception. Brown supported that provision, but once it failed in a vote of 106 to 49, he voted ‘YES’ on the underlying bill, which only exempted “an employer that is a church or qualified church-controlled organization” from offering birth control:

Since Obama’s new federal standard would allow church-affiliated nonprofits to eschew birth control coverage, it could offer greater conscience protections to Massachusetts’ Catholic colleges, universities, and hospitals. For instance, if Boston College is required to provide birth control under the Brown-approved law, it could drop the coverage — and leave the matter to its insurer — under Obama’s regulation.

Interestingly, Brown also voted for a 2005 bill mandating hospitals to offer emergency contraception to rape victims, even after lawmakers defeated his amendment to allow religious hospitals to opt out of the requirement. Brown split with then-Gov. Mitt Romney on the matter and joined the legislature in overriding his veto.

Brown’s office did not immediately respond to ThinkProgress’ request for comment.

SANTORUM: I know this is a very important day in Washington. And in many respects a sad day for many people. We saw the law signed into here in Washington sate. But it is very important you understand what just happened in another place….in the Ninth Circuit….The Ninth Circuit decided that anybody that disagrees with any of these folks, anyone who disagrees with these folks when it comes to the issue if what marriage is in this country, well they are irrational. That’s what the Ninth Circuit said. They said anybody who disagrees with their decision to shoot down Prop 8 in California, they do so because they are irrational and the only possible reason they can possibly…

Before he could mischaracterize the court’s decision, however, a scuffle broke out. Police shoved two men to the ground, tased and arrested them. Santorum briefly paused in his remarks and said, “Let’s give a hand to our men and women in uniform. It’s not easy.”

He described the protesters as a “radical element” that represents “true intolerance,” but claimed that he understood “their frustration” at being left behind by “a president that doesn’t care about them.” “We got to provide an opportunity for them,” he insisted. “Instead of standing here unemployed, yelling at somebody, to go out out there and try to work for a living.” Watch videos of the event:

Santorum has pledged to annul all same-sex marriage around the country and he met with opponents of marriage equality just hours after Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) approved a measure that would allow gays and lesbians to marry in Washington state. “I encouraged them to continue the fight,” he told reporters. “There are ebbs and flows in every battle, and this is not the final word.” “There are legitimate reasons that people have to want to have to change the law, and there are legitimate reasons that people have to want to keep the law in place. If you keep it at that level, don’t make it personal, make it about what is best for society, then I think we’ll be fine.”

Washington’s marriage law will not take effect before June 7, three months after the conclusion of the legislative session. However, if opponents succeed in putting a question of marriage on the November ballot defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman, the law would be suspended until the certification of election returns in December.

$864 million for health reform: President Obama’s budget includes $864 million to get a key element of his healthcare reform law off the ground. The law requires health insurance exchanges to be in place in all 50 states by Jan. 1, 2014. States that want to run their own exchanges must pass muster with the federal government by the end of 2013; the federal government will operate a default exchange in states that fail to launch their own.” [The Hill]

Obama beefs up primary care coverage: “The Obama administration announced Monday that it is making $9.1 million in National Health Service Corps awards available to medical students who are willing to serve in underserved areas. The funding was made possible by the 2010 healthcare reform law.” [The Hill]

Doctors left out: “House Republican leaders announced they will introduce a bill to extend a middle-class payroll tax holiday in legislation that won’t include a solution to Medicare’s sustainable growth-rate formula for physicians.” [Modern Healthcare]

Why Catholic leaders say yes to Viagra: “If health insurance plans offered by Catholic-sponsored entities refuse to cover contraceptives for women because of the religion’s moral teachings banning artificial birth control, do they cover Viagra for men?…Procreation is something the Catholic church encourages. And Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs can be of help.” [NPR]

Washington House OKs pro-choice bill: “Washington state lawmakers moved forward Monday with bills on insurance coverage for abortions, facial recognition for state IDs and fees for vehicle towing…Supporters said the bill would ensure that existing abortion coverage will be preserved once federal health insurance rules come into effect under the Affordable Care Act in 2014.” [AP]

Virginia advances ultrasound bill: “House of Delegates Republicans have rejected a last-ditch bid by Democrats to allow women seeking abortions to opt out of an invasive ultrasonic procedure under anti-abortion legislation set for a final House vote Tuesday. Legislation that has advanced on the strength of a GOP majority would force women to undergo a “transvaginal ultrasound” that produces fetal images.” [AP]

Gregoire shared some of the positive reaction to the passage of the measure and described the occasion as a “very proud moment” in her career:

GREGOIRE: We’re here today to make history in this great state… As governor now for over seven years, this is a very proud moment. Most surely, it is a proud day in the history of the legislature…it is a day as historians will mark as am milestone for equal rights in this state. …We stood for equality and we did it together. I’m proud of who and what we are as a state. I’m proud that our same-sex couples will no longer be treated as separate, but equal. They will be equal in the great state of Washington. I’m proud that the children in our schools and neighborhoods will no longer have to wonder why their loving parents are considered somewhat different than other loving parents.

As she signed the bill, at least one opponent of marriage equality yelled out, “do not betray Christ!, do not betray Christ!” The crowd’s cheers drowned him out and Gregoire pronounced, “it’s signed!” Watch a compilation:

The law will not take effect before June 7, three months after the conclusion of the legislative session. However, if opponents succeed in putting a question of marriage on the November ballot defining marriage as a union between one mand and one woman, the law would be suspended until the certification of election returns in December. Gregoire predicted that the people of the state of Washington “will say yes to marriage equality in the state of Washington” if the law is reviewed in a referendum.

Under Obama’s approach, for instance, higher-income seniors would pay more for doctors visits and prescription coverage beginning in 2017 and all new enrollees will pay a $25 deductible as part of their Part B premiums. But for the most part, the budget is similar to the administration’s September 2011 deficit reduction plan and recoups the greatest savings from drug rebates and modernizing provider payments to achieve greater efficiency. Here is a chart showing where all the savings come from:

Given that Ryan’s Medicare savings don’t kick in until 2022, it’s hard to make a direct comparison with Obama’s proposal. But suffice it to say, Ryan would cut about 1.4 trillion from Medicaid alone and another $30 billion in net Medicare savings using last year’s 10-year budget window.

Sens. Olympia Snowe (ME) and Susan Collins (ME) — both of whom have sponsored legislation requiring insurers to offer contraception benefits in all health plans — are in favor of the new compromise, which would allow religiously affiliated colleges, universities, and hospitals to avoid providing birth control. Their employees will still receive contraception coverage at no additional cost sharing directly from the insurer:

“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 in a statement. “According to the Catholic Health Association, the administration ‘responded to the issues [they] identified that needed to be fixed,’ which is what I urged the president to do in addressing this situation.

“While I will carefully review the details of the president’s revised proposal, it appears to be a step in the right direction,” Collins said in a statement. “The administration’s original plan was deeply flawed and clearly would have posed a threat to religious freedom. It presented the Catholic Church with its wide-ranging social, educational, and health care services, and many other faith-based organizations, with an impossible choice between violating their religious beliefs or violating federal regulations. The administration has finally listened to the concerns raised by many and appears to be seeking to avoid the threat to religious liberties posed by its original plan.”

Republicans in the senate seem determined to oppose the compromise and have introduced legislation that would allow employers or individuals to opt out of any benefit that undermines their moral beliefs. “They don’t have the authority under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution to tell someone in this country or some organization in this country what their religious beliefs are,” McConnell told “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “This issue will not go away until the administration simply backs down,” he said.

Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), who led the GOP’s opposition to the original rule, has yet to issue a statement on the measure and did not respond to ThinkProgress’ query about her position. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) also did not respond. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) co-sponsored a 1999 bill requiring contraception equity in insurance coverage and has not yet to weigh in on the current debate.

– 4 percent increase to strengthen anti-discrimination enforcement: The Budget also proposes an increase for the Community Relations Service in the Department of Justice to fight hate crimes and provides a $14 million, or 4 percent, increase over the 2012 enacted level for the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC), which is responsible for enforcing Federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee.

– Funding boost to combat hate crimes: In addition to the protections on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the Budget also proposes an increase for the Community Relations Service to fight hate crime.

– $86 million to combat bullying: The Budget provides $86 million for grants to States and local educational agencies under the Department of Education’s Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students program to fund activities aimed at preventing and reducing substance use, violence, harassment or bullying, and promoting student mental, physical, and emotional health.

– Increases funding for HIV/AIDS research and prevention to $28.5 billion: The Budget prioritizes HIV/AIDS resources within high-burden communities and among high-risk groups, including gay and bisexual men, Black Americans, Latino Americans and substance users. Compared to 2012, the Budget increases domestic discretionary HIV/AIDS funding at HHS by $119 million and Veterans Affairs (VA) HIV/AIDS funding by $74 million. Overall, total U.S. Government-wide spending on HIV/AIDS increases from $27.7 billion in 2012 to approximately $28.5 billion in 2013.

– Expands the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program by $75 million: The Budget includes an increase of $75 million for care and treatment through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. The Budget includes $1 billion for AIDS drug assistance programs, an increase of $67 million above 2012 levels to expand access to life saving HIV-related medications for uninsured and underinsured people living with HIV/AIDS. Based on current projections, this increase in funding for ADAP, combined with sufficient state contributions, will eliminate ADAP waiting lists in 2013.

– $330 million for housing assistance for people with HIV/AIDS: The President’s Budget requests $330 million for HUD’s Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program, to address housing needs among people living with HIV/AIDS and their families.

– Support global AIDS prevention and treatment: The Budget fully funds the balance of the Administration’s historic three-year, $4 billion pledge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, in recognition of this multilateral partner’s key role in global health and its progress in instituting reform.