Politics & Government

Speaker Singles Out Democrat

O'Brien accuses her of embarking on 'misguided, Ahab-like quest.'

Democrats lined up to blast House Speaker William O'Brien this week for co-sponsoring–and spiriting through the House–a resolution urging repeal of contraception coverage provisions in the new federal health care law.

But O'Brien saved his blistering response for one of them: Jackie Cilley, a former state senator running for governor.

Here is what O'Brien, R-Mont Vernon, had to say Friday after Cilley  (with Jackie Cilley's latest response follows it):

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"Cilley's misguided, Ahab-like quest to implement ObamaCare in New Hampshire has reached an all-time, shocking law. Asking Catholics to abandon their religion in favor of her leftist ideology is unnecessary, cynical, unconstitutional and completely contrary to the tenants this country was founded upon. Cilley should apologize to Catholics and reconsider her race for Governor. Her Obama tactics of dividing the voters by using vitriol and hatred is  not the New Hampshire way and not what our citizens need.

New Hampshire has a long and proud history of support for religious tolerance and there was a time not too long ago when this principle was not a partisan issue. In fact, it was the late Sen. Ted Kennedy who wrote that he believed in and would continue to advocate for a conscience protection for Catholics in the health field. Cilley’s attacks on Rep. Lynne Blankenbeker, who is both a war veteran and a nurse, were uncalled for and inappropriate. Rep. Blankenbeker has been a tremendous role model for women across New Hampshire in serving her constituents and her country. We can have an honest and full debate without needing to resort to distortions such as any allegation that this is about denying women’s health or is an anti-contraception issue and without denying our citizens their constitutional First Amendment right of freedom of religion."

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Jackie Cilley responded with a statement titled, "When Bullies Attack." Here it is:

"It comes as no surprise that Speaker Bill O’Brien took exception to my forceful defense of women's rights and sent out a press release attacking my efforts to fight for the women of New Hampshire. After all, this is the same man who harassed a well-respected female Republican legislator forcing her to submit anti-bullying bill for State Legislators. Bullies don’t like people who stand up for their rights and I will most assuredly stand up for the rights of all women in our state – and I will do so without apology.

The Speaker is well aware that the pending legislation he quietly slipped into an unrelated bill strips health care coverage for contraception from New Hampshire’s women. It has nothing to do with the smoke screen of religious freedom he is hiding behind. As Rev. Richard Slater, associate conference minister with the United Church of Christ, stated in his response to the anti-women legislation, “Our voices, the voices of the religious community throughout the state of New Hampshire, have not been consulted….We find this legislation and its impingement on access to contraception to be appalling.”

Furthermore, the bill he proposed goes much further than allowing religiously affiliated organizations to exclude coverage for contraception and allows all employers to exclude birth control from insurance coverage for their employees. More than 13 years ago Republicans and Democrats came together to require insurers to provide coverage for contraceptive care for the women of New Hampshire. Speaker O’Brien is right – this was not a partisan issue until he made it one. But it isn’t between Republicans and Democrats, it is between Free Stater/Tea Party legislators and all other political affiliations in our state.

If the Speaker labors under the misguided assumption that I will back down from encouraging Granite State women to raise their voices in unison against the attacks this legislature has perpetrated on them, he is very much mistaken.  I will not back down from bullies and I don’t believe the women of our proud state – women from across the political spectrum – will back down either."

Cilley, of Barrington, is one of two Democrats who have announced candidacy for governor. Former state senator Maggie Hassan of Exeter is also running. She also this week over House Resolution 29, the text of which can be read here.


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