Bishops to House: Keep Abortion Funding Out of Health Care Reform, Make Health Care Available to ...(sions that would make health care more a...),Health

Date:11/6/2009

sions that would make health care more affordable and accessible, especially for the poor and vulnerable, by expanding Medicaid to adults who are living at 150 percent or lower of the Federal Poverty Level and offering adequate affordability credits for households up to 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.

The Catholic Bishops of the United States have long supported adequate and affordable health care for all. We believe universal coverage should be truly universal, not denying health care to those in need because of their condition, age, where they come from or when they arrive here.

Protecting Human Life and Conscience

We are concerned because the current legislation before the House of Representatives fails to keep in place the longstanding federal policy against the use of federal funds for elective abortion or for plans that include elective abortion - a policy upheld by the Hyde Amendment, Children's Health Insurance Program, Federal Employee Health Benefits Program and other federal health initiatives. Without such protection we will have to oppose the current legislation until this fundamental flaw is remedied.

For this reason, we ask you to vote for an amendment that will keep in place the longstanding and widely supported federal policy against government funding for elective abortions or for plans which include elective abortions. To accomplish this we also urge you to support efforts to guarantee that the House will have a clear and fair opportunity to vote on this essential matter. Please vote against a "closed rule" if necessary so the amendment can be considered.

Currently, H.R. 3962 allows the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to mandate that any "public option" will include unlimited abortions. The Congressional Research Service has confirmed that all money paid out by this plan for medical proc
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SOURCE U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities Copyright©2009 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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