just to give you an idea we re already above average in terms of tornados. we saw over 80 reports of tornados in january. more than average on february. then as we head, march, april, may, may is the busiest month for tornados. already above average. because we ve had such a crazy winter with spring-like temperatures, i have a feeling this could be a harbinger of things to come unfortunately. jenna: stay close and we ll get the updates, janice as they come in. thanks so much. you bet. jon: a fox news alert and right now in the u.s. senate they are voting on the so-called blunt amendment, so-called sponsored by missouri senator roy blunt and marco rubio of florida. it is an amendment that would allow employers to opt out, if they choose of providing coverage for contraceptive services if they believe that those services, you know, for any reason go against their conscience or their morals.
pretty confusing way. my reading of the transcript, jon, he was asked if he support the blunt bills which bans contraception. that phrasing is inaccurate. the blunt bill does not, it is blunt-rubio amendment for one thing. so there wasn t a exactly a bill. but it doesn t ban contraception. already described in the previous piece that you presented accurately. and so romney was presented with a question where either a yes or no answer would have involved him in a contradiction of a stand he previously had taken. on one hand he had supported the blunt amendment and campaign reiterated his support in catch-up efforts after this interview. on the other hand he had opposed, as all the republican candidates do, a ban on contraception. there was no way he could answer this misleading and inaccurate question with a yes or no without seeming to contradict a previous position. jon: well, he did try to
health care law. lawmakers consider a measure allowing employers to opt out any provision they oh pose on moral or religious ground. that would include the free birth control coverage mandate. rick folbaum has more on this. reporter: jenna, senator roy blunt of missouri introduced this amendment. he tacked it onto a transportation bill. it does not specifically mention the word contraception. blunt says it is not about any specific medical procedure. it would allow employers or insures to opt out of pay in of the signature health care law on religious or moral brounds. as we know by now the law requires employers to provide free birth control for those on the plans. after a push back from conservative and religious groups a compromise allows religiously affiliated employers to opt out of paying for contraceptives putting costs on health insurance companies again. the blunt amendment would
jon: a fox news alert. the so-called blunt amendment has gone down to defeat in the u.s. senate. it was a 51-48 vote. the senators defeat ago republican measure that would have allowed insurance companies or employers, i should say, to opt out of offering mandatory birth control and contraceptive coverage. roy blunt, the missouri senator, had offered that amendment as a way to allow employers who on religious or other grounds felt they should not be offering that coverage. they would be exempted from doing so. but it has gone down to defeat, 48 vote favor, 51 opposed of the so called blunt amendment. goes down to defeat in the u.s. senate.
terms of an organization saying we re not going to provide contraception. senator blunt s amendment would have forced an organization to provide something of equal value to their employees, but as you said moments ago, the measure went down 51-48 jenna. jenna: so now what, mike? what do we expect too where do we expect to head and as far as the democrats opposed to it, what was their argument to it because truly that will come up if this is approached in a different way. certainly this is an election year, so it s a heated issue here on capitol hill. one would expect it will come back at some other form at some point. democrats seem to be able to frame the debate about contraception, about being antiwomen. here s new jersey senator frank lautenberg on that: the republicans like to say they don t want government interfering in peoples lives. then i ask, why the devil we are debating a republican amendment that limits a woman s freedom to make her