By a vote of 51-48, the United States Senate rejected an amendment in the form of the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011, which Senator Roy Blunt had moved to have appended to a bill. Three Democratic senators voted in favour of the amendment.[News release][CNN] In response to the vote, a spokesman for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said that the bishops “will not rest until the protection of conscience rights is restored and the First Amendment is returned to its place of respect in the Bill of Rights.” [USCCB news release]