Many thanks to Pat Gohn of Among Women for tipping us off to this. (My parish, for one, did not get the memo…or our deadlines are just longer than most other bulletins.)
Tell Congress: Remove Abortion Funding & Mandates from Needed Health Care Reform
Congress is preparing to debate health care reform legislation on the House and Senate floors. Genuine health care reform should protect the life and dignity of all people from the moment of conception until natural death. The U.S. bishops’ conference has concluded that all committee-approved bills are seriously deficient on the issues of abortion and conscience, and do not provide adequate access to health care for immigrants and the poor. The bills will have to change or the bishops have pledged to oppose them.
Our nation is at a crossroads. Policies adopted in health care reform will have an impact for good or ill for years to come. None of the bills retains longstanding current policies against abortion funding or abortion coverage mandates, and none fully protects conscience rights in health care.
As the U.S. bishops’ letter of October 8 states:
“No one should be required to pay for or participate in abortion. It is essential that the legislation clearly apply to this new program longstanding and widely supported federal restrictions on abortion funding and mandates, and protections for rights of conscience. No current bill meets this test…. If acceptable language in these areas cannot be found, we will have to oppose the health care bill vigorously.”
For the full text of this letter and more information on proposed legislation and the bishops’ advocacy for authentic health care reform, visit: www.usccb.org/healthcare.
Congressional leaders are attempting to put together final bills for floor consideration. Please contact your Representative and Senators today and urge them to fix these bills with the pro-life amendments noted below. Otherwise much needed health care reform will have to be opposed. Health care reform should be about saving lives, not destroying them.
ACTION: Contact Members through e-mail, phone calls or FAX letters.
– To send a pre-written, instant e-mail to Congress go to www.usccb.org/action.
– Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at: 202-224-3121, or call your Members’ local offices.
– Full contact info can be found on Members’ web sites at www.house.gov & www.senate.gov.
MESSAGE to SENATE:
“During floor debate on the health care reform bill, please support an amendment to incorporate longstanding policies against abortion funding and in favor of conscience rights. If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed.”
MESSAGE to HOUSE:
“Please support the Stupak Amendment that addresses essential pro-life concerns on abortion funding and conscience rights in the health care reform bill. Help ensure that the Rule for the bill allows a vote on this amendment. If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed.”
WHEN: Both House and Senate are preparing for floor votes now. Act today! Thank you!
Thanks for passing the word, Sarah!
Thanks for that link! It was really easy to send an email using their website!
Would you check out the following article? http://www.pewsitter.com/view_news_id_25544.php
The author doesn’t have the most respectful tone, but he does make some valid points. He argues that any national health care plan will end up covering abortion and euthanasia. Even if a bill is passed without covering these “services,” the courts will force their coverage. We need to reject any national health care plan and find some other way to insure the uninsured.
I will do it but I still want the public option for poor people here in Florida. There are so many people here that health care is 900 bucks a month for the average family. There needs to be reform across the board here, not lip service. I have a Franciscan doc friend/sister who helps the indigent folks at the regular hospital because the Catholic hospital cannot afford to help those folks which for here is most everyone.
Otherwise where is your address we’ll send you our medical bills.? Otherwise in this state you have to wait 7 years to get your credit back again because in Florida after 5 years that nasty med bill gets wiped out. Claro? Understand? They did that because too many old people had junk on the books and it took forever to wipe it off estates.
We need health care reform here.
I hear you, Jeanne, but don’t we need reform instead of a federal takeover? We will end up with abortion and euthanasia coverage and no ability to do anything about it.
Recent studies talk about massive fraud in medicare. Federally funded healthcare will do no better. How will we pay for this? Many, probably most, economist are worried about the massive debt that this country is in. We can’t incur this kind of debt and survive. We can’t help anyone if we all go under.