Murray backs another birth control bill after Hobby Lobby

One of the Senate’s leading women is throwing her weight behind another bill to strengthen access to birth control following the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision.

The move by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) comes as Democrats prepare to use women’s health issues against Republicans in the midterm elections, with legislation unlikely to move on Capitol Hill.

{mosads}Murray and Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) already proposed a bill to block the high court’s decision, but it failed to advance last week after opposition from Republicans.

The latest measure, Sen. Cory Booker’s (D-N.J.) “Access to Birth Control Act,” is a longstanding proposal to require that pharmacies help women fill prescriptions for birth control.

The legislation is directed at individual pharmacists who choose not to fill birth control prescriptions because of their moral or religious views.

Murray blasted a “tide of politically-driven, extreme efforts” to block women’s access to birth control in a statement.

“It’s disappointing that in 2014 this legislation is even necessary, but … we are going to stand with women and help protect this access,” she said.

It is unclear whether Democratic leadership plans to move the measure, which has support from the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and Planned Parenthood Action Fund.