Press Releases

NEW YORK, March 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- News reports today confirm that an executive order on abortion funding is being developed in an attempt to assuage anti-choice members of the House of Representatives and to secure their votes in the down-to-the-wire battle over passage of healthcare reform.  The text of the proposed executive order has not been publicly disclosed.  Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights has this response:

Leaders in the House courageously held the line on abortion this week, assuring that efforts by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) to secure a side deal forcing a vote in the House on his amendment or adding it to the healthcare reform bill would remain unsuccessful.  It is therefore extremely worrisome that news reports today indicate that a side deal in a different form that of an executive order  is now in the works.

Any such agreement would lend additional credibility to the current state of federal policy, which punishes poor women by withholding funding under Medicaid and numerous other federal programs for abortion, a common procedure needed for reproductive health as well as a constitutional right.

We would remind negotiators that the current state of the law is merely a function of language enacted by Congress in annual appropriations bills, and has changed many times over past years in its scope.  It would be a shame to affix this impermanent state of affairs in administrative policy by means of an executive order or any other vehicle.

Moreover, we are concerned about the content of such an order.  The clearly stated goal of Rep. Stupak and his supporters has been to ensure that anti-choice principles reach far beyond the use of federal dollars and create new restrictions for the private insurance marketplace created by the exchanges including severe and unwarranted limitations on insurance coverage purchased with private dollars. Any executive order must not further this effort to roll back choice for the millions of American women who will seek coverage in the exchange, and whose insurance plans currently provide coverage for abortion.

We remain deeply troubled by the burdensome and stigmatizing restrictions in the Nelson amendment that are included in the Senate-passed version of healthcare reform.  Many of these provisions appear, practically speaking, unworkable and needlessly punitive.  Any executive order issued in the heat of legislative negotiations should not compound these problems by tying the hands of the executive branch agencies before they can work to resolve the uncertainties and obstacles this bill will create.

SOURCE Center for Reproductive Rights

House leadership ignoring pro-life members for essential changes in the legislation

Won't even try to address the serious problems on abortion funding

Ignoring conscience protection and fair treatment of immigrants.

WASHINGTON, March 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. bishops urged the House of Representatives to fix flaws in health care legislation or vote against its passage in a March 20 letter to House members. The letter was signed by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chair of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities, Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre, New York, chair of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City, chair on the Committee on Migration. The letter follows. 

Dear Representative:

For decades, the United States Catholic bishops have supported universal health care. The Catholic Church teaches that health care is a basic human right, essential for human life and dignity. Our community of faith provides health care to millions, purchases health care for tens of thousands and addresses the failings of our health care system in our parishes, emergency rooms and shelters. This is why we as bishops continue to insist that health care reform which truly protects the life, dignity, consciences and health of all is a moral imperative and urgent national priority.

We are convinced that the Senate legislation now presented to the House of Representatives on a "take it or leave it" basis sadly fails this test and ought to be opposed. Why do we take this position, when we have a long record of support for health care reform? Our fundamental objections can be summarized in two points:

1. Health care reform must protect life and conscience, not threaten them. The Senate bill extends abortion coverage, allows federal funds to pay for elective abortions (for example, through a new appropriation for services at Community Health Centers that bypasses the Hyde amendment), and denies adequate conscience protection to individuals and institutions. Needed health care reform must keep in place the longstanding and widely supported federal policy that neither elective abortion nor plans which include elective abortion can be paid for with federal funds. Simply put, health care reform ought to continue to apply both parts of the Hyde amendment, no more and no less. The House adopted this policy by a large bipartisan majority, establishing the same protections that govern Medicaid, SCHIP, the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program and other federal health programs. 

Despite claims to the contrary, the status quo prohibits the federal government from funding or facilitating plans that include elective abortion. The Senate bill clearly violates this prohibition by providing subsidies to purchase such plans. The House bill provided that no one has to pay for other people's abortions, while this Senate bill does not. While the Senate provides for one plan without abortion coverage in each exchange, those who select another plan in an exchange to better meet the special needs of their families will be required to pay a separate mandatory abortion fee into a fund exclusively for abortions. This new federal requirement is a far more direct imposition on the consciences of those who do not wish to pay for the destruction of unborn human life than anything currently in federal law.

It is not those who require that the Hyde Amendment be fully applied who are obstructing reform, since this is the law of the land and the will of the American people. Rather, those who insist on expanding  federal participation in abortion, require people to pay for other people's abortions, and refuse to incorporate essential conscience protections (both within and beyond the abortion context) are threatening genuine reform. With conscience protection as with abortion funding, our goal is simply to preserve the status quo.

2. Universal coverage should be truly universal. People should never be denied coverage because they can't afford it, because of where they live or work, or because of where they come from and when they got here. The Senate bill would not only continue current law that denies legal immigrants access to Medicaid for five years, but also prohibit undocumented immigrants from buying insurance for their families in the exchanges using their own money. These provisions could leave immigrants and their families worse off, and also hurt the public health of our nation.

Now, after a year of divisive political combat, members of the House are told that they can advance health care reform only by adopting the Senate legislation as is, including these fundamental flaws. The House leadership is ignoring the pleas of pro-life members for essential changes in the legislation. Apparently they will not even try to address the serious problems on abortion funding, conscience protection and fair treatment of immigrants.

We are bishops, not politicians, policy experts or legislative tacticians. We are also pastors, teachers, and citizens. At this point of decision, we cannot compromise on basic moral principles. We can only urge -- and hope and pray -- that the House of Representatives will still find the will and the means to adopt health care reform that protects the life, dignity, conscience and health of all. The legislation the House adopted, while not perfect, came closer to meeting these criteria. The Senate legislation simply does not meet them.

With deep regret, but clear in our moral judgment, we are compelled to continue to urge House members to oppose the Senate bill unless these fundamental flaws are remedied. At this critical moment, we urge Representatives to take the steps necessary to ensure that health care reform respects the life and dignity of all, from conception to natural death.

Keywords: abortion, conscience, immigrants, House of Representative, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Bishop William Murphy, Bishop John Wester, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

10-051 

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops