Catholic Church Mobilizes to Oppose Health Care Reform

Urgent alerts have been issued by the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) now that votes are pending in both the U.S. House and Senate on the various health care reform measures. A vote in the House could come as early as November 5 or 6.
Yesterday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled H.R. 3962, the House merger of three bills passed in various committees. According to Douglas Johnson of NRLC, page 110 of the new bill explicitly authorizes the “public health insurance option” to pay for all elective abortions. While the leadership continues its ridiculous claim that by some magical trick, “private” funds will pay for these abortions, the non-partisan Congressional Research Service recently confirmed that all funds spent by the bill’s public plan will be federal funds.

The National Right to Life news release can be found here.

The USCCB, supporter of health care reform for decades, has diligently worked within the houses of Congress to have its voice heard on abortion funding, conscience rights and other issues. Reaching the conclusion that H.R. 3962 and the proposals in the Senate fall very short of protecting unborn children and conscience rights, the USCCB is mobilizing in all Catholic churches immediately to attempt to have the bills amended or opposed if not amended. Action Alerts, pulpit announcements, and prayers have been sent to all Catholic parishes in the nation. The Catholic Church documents can be found here.

Barbara Lyons