Tyrant State? Nelson - Hatch - Casey Pro-Life Amendment Rejected in U.S. Senate

12/9/2009

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on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Daniel Cardinal DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chair of the bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, and Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City, chair of the bishops' Committee on Migration. Here is the text:

**************

Dear Senator:

On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), we strongly urge the Senate to adopt essential changes to the health care reform bill to ensure that needed health care reform legislation truly protects the life, dignity, consciences and health of all. Therefore we urgently ask you to support an essential amendment to be offered by Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE), Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Robert Casey (D-PA) to keep in place the longstanding and widely supported federal policy against government funding of health coverage that includes elective abortions.

Sadly, the current Senate bill fails to keep in place the longstanding federal policy against the use of federal funds for elective abortions or health plans that include elective abortions -- a policy upheld in all health programs covered by the Hyde Amendment, the Children's Health Insurance Program, the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program -- and now in the House-passed "Affordable Health Care for America Act." We believe legislation that violates this moral principle is not true health care reform and must be amended to reflect the Hyde restrictions. If that fails, the current legislation should be opposed.

This amendment will have the same effect as the Stupak-Pitts-Ellsworth-Kaptur-Dahlkemper-Smith-Lipinski Amendment already accepted in the House by an overwhelming bipartisan majority (see attached fact sheet). Like that amendment, it does not change the current situation in our country: Abortion is legal and available, but no federal dollars can be used to pay for elective abortions or plans that include elective abortions. This amendment does not restrict abortion, or prevent people from buying insurance covering abortion with their own funds. It simply ensures that where federal funds are involved, people are not required to pay for other people's abortions.

The bill currently before the Senate allows the HHS Secretary to mandate abortion coverage throughout the government-run "community health insurance option." It also provides funding for other plans that cover unlimited abortions, and creates an unprecedented mandatory "abortion surcharge" in such plans that will require pro-life purchasers to pay directly and explicitly for other people's abortions. The bill does not maintain essential nondiscrimination protections for providers who decline involvement in abortion. The Nelson-Hatch-Casey amendment simply corrects these grave departures from current federal policy.

We urge the Senate to support the Nelson-Hatch-Casey amendment. As other amendments are offered to the bill that address our priorities on conscience protection, affordability and fair treatment of immigrants, we will continue to communicate our positions on these issues to the Senate. The Catholic bishops have long supported adequate and affordable health care for all. As pastors and teachers, we believe genuine health care reform must protect human life and dignity, not threaten them, especially for the most voiceless and vulnerable. We believe health care legislation must respect the consciences of providers, taxpayers, and others, not violate them. We believe universal coverage should be truly universal, not deny health care to those in need because of their condition, age, where they come from or when they arrive here. Providing affordable and accessible health care that clearly reflects these fundamental principles is a public good, moral imperative and urgent national priority.

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The majority of the Senate did not listen to the Bishops. By defeating this Amendment which would have prevented tax dollars from being used for abortions they effectively decided to spend Federal Tax Dollars to kill children. The �blood money� will be coercively extracted from every American - unless we can prevent this from occurring.

If this amendment - or one identical to it - is not inserted as the legislation winds its way through the process then every Pro-Life American must vocally and strenuously oppose the entire Health Care Reform Effort. We cannot cooperate in a moral evil such as the federally funded dismembering or burning to death of our youngest neighbors. We may be witnessing the emergence of a �Tyrant State.� It is time for Catholic Action.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords:

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1 - 10 of 43 Comments

Ron Mulvaney
3 years ago
It may be too late to appeal directly to our U.S. Senators. This terrible Senate version is now in the Conference Committee. What is left is House Congressman Stupak's last minute efforts to amend the Conference Committee version to fit the stronger House passed pro-life version. IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FOR PRO-LIFE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMEN WHO VOTED AGAINST THEIR HOUSE VERSION TO NOW SUPPORT CONGRESSMAN STUPAK AND PROMISE TO VOTE FOR THE PACKAGE IF -- AND ONLY IF -- THE PACKAGE CONTAINS STUPAK'S LANGUAGE. PRO-LIFE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMEN; HOLD YOUR NOSES, FALL ON THE SWORD FOR PRO-LIFE!
Diana
3 years ago
Yes Obama isn't the one having the abortions but he is making it very easy for these women to have them. We need someone with morals in the white house if he doesnt care of these innocent lives hes helping put to an end, how can he really care about his country. Why the hell would we as tax payiers help to condone this terrible act, by letting them use our money to kill Babies. If you are for abortion why are you on this website
ruben18753
3 years ago
Why does everyone always bring up incest and rape to defend abortion? If there is such an epidemic of these in america? Is every abortion due to this? Somehow I don't think so.
JeanCatherine
3 years ago
IF ANYONE IS PREGNANT AND IN TROUBLE:

Contact Priests for Life they have information toward Pregnancy Crisis at their website. Counseling sights as well. This is my Christmas present to our Lord Jesus Christ this year to give information to our beloved family.

Love and Peace
JeanCatherine
3 years ago
Look Im not condoning incest here but this might be an interesting point to make.

Say back in the early days there were children of incest are you aware of the fact that if these children were put by the roadside Christians would come along and pick them up and raise them as heir own?

I hope we never have incest againt but it doesnt matter if it was yesterday or today the meaning is the same a child can be discarded like in the old days or today surgically discarded today?

I dont see the difference other than we have gone one heinous step further and we surgically or chemically remove these children from the mother's womb.

Its time that society thought this out and that we learn from this past and make it right.

We can do this.

Discarding and sacrificing children are not modern thoughts and they should be discarded if we are a modern society?

Ask yourself are we in a modern society and are we past the old practice of child sacrifice?

I hope so and I hope that we get away from this heinous practice that is considered sophisticated.

Its not there is nothing new under the sun and abortion is not a young practice. Its old and it needs to be put away and discarded on the junk heap of the past. Never to be repeated.

It is no different than the holocausts perpertrated during WWII.

We need to wake up and find a better way.

If you get the chance go for the March for life in January and Washington, DC.

CHOOSE LIFE!

Peace and Merry Christmas
Laurence
3 years ago
Does a child conceived by rape or incest have less value and dignity than a child who has been conceived by lust or love? I think not. So, why should we even allow for such exceptions?

Is it really consistent with authentic Catholic teaching to allow for the abortion of unborn children that were conceived by rape or incest? I tend to think not... Therefore, we should not even compromise the lives of unborn children that were conceived by rape or incest.

This certainly does not mean that we are condoning rape or incest by protecting the lives of unborn children that were conceived by rape or incest. Similarly, we don't condone fornication or adultery, yet many children are conceived by fornication or adultery and we certainly don't want such unborn children aborted.

I think that we should not shy away from protecting even those unborn children that were conceived by rape or incest.
Jean
3 years ago
Josephine

If you get the chance go over to Priests for Life and Rachel's Vineyard.

No George Bush isnt perfect but he tried to give us the conscience clause for our people in the health care industry.

Obama and his crew want to get rid of it. No Obama isnt the one who instituted abortion but we keep perpetrating it in the name of good and were not so sure that it is good.

Also if you get a chance read an article at
http://jean2010.wordpress.com
by clicking on:

Biography of Norma McKorvey: Jane Roe of Roe V. Wade (1)

Peace and Merry Christmas.
Josephine
3 years ago
Why does everyone blame abortion on President Obama? He is does not perform them, he has not had one, and he does not make women get them. They have been going on for years, throughout both democratic and republican administrations. Please tell me again what GW did to prevent or outlaw abortions? Were all of you bashing him on this issue, he may have said he was pro-life, but did he promote it in the legal system? Our religion has been highjacked by anti-Obama individuals and they use abortion as a political tool. This issue is neither democratic or republican so stop blaming politicians! Women get abortions, why are they not part of this discussion?
leahgene
3 years ago
hello! im leah gene, and im only 13 and to me, it turns my stomach, to the thought of people paying taxes twoards abortions!! it is sickening to even think about it! i ask you to please go to manhattandeclaration.org and sign the document!!
Catherine
3 years ago
You are right, Dennis! We Catholics should raise our collective voice and let America know we are morally bound not pay "blood money" taxes.

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