AK Bishops urge Begich to support Health Reform that Does not Expand Abortion Funding

Despite several phone calls, however, efforts to convince Sen. Begich to support the amendment were unheeded.

ANCHORAGE, AK (Catholic Anchor) - So far, Alaska's bishops have been unable to convince the state's Democratic Sen. Mark Begich to support an amendment to health care reform legislation that would prohibit federal tax dollars from paying for abortion, except in the case of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.

During a Dec. 9 Theology and Brew presentation in Wasilla, Anchorage Archbishop Roger Schwietz told a gathering of local Catholics that the state's bishops attempted to contact Sen. Begich's office and urge him to support an amendment to health legislation by fellow Democrat Sen. Ben Nelson, of Nebraska.

The amendment would have prohibited federal funding of most abortions.

"I managed to get to a staffer and asked that Senator Begich support the amendment, but despite all our efforts we did not get him on our side," Archbishop Schwietz explained.

On Dec. 8 the U.S. Senate voted to table the bipartisan amendment with Sen. Begich joining the majority 54-45. Fellow Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski (R), voted unsuccessfully with the minority to move the amendment forward.

Archbishop Schwietz said the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops had asked Alaska's bishops to contact Sen. Begich because he was seen as a possible supporter of the amendment.

Despite several phone calls, however, efforts to convince Sen. Begich to support the amendment were unheeded.

"We tried to get through but were unsuccessful," Archbishop Schwietz said, adding that without language to remove abortion funding, the bill would not receive the support from the U.S. bishops.

"We will not support the bill as it is now," he said.

On Dec. 14, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops again urged all Senators to put Hyde amendment language into the proposed health care reform legislation in order to prohibit federal funds from being used for elective abortion coverage.

According to Catholic News Service reports, the bishops urged the action in a Dec. 14 letter from Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

A major problem with the current health care reform legislation in the Senate, Cardinal DiNardo's letter said, is that "it explicitly authorizes the use of federal funds to subsidize health plans covering elective abortions for the first time in history."

"Health care reform is too urgently needed to be placed at risk by one lobbying group's insistence on changing the law," the cardinal added.

The Senate resumed debate on its version of health reform legislation Dec. 15. Senate leadership hoped to bring the legislation to a vote before the Christmas recess.

To contact Alaska's Senators, call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. A switchboard operator will connect you directly with the Senate office requested.

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Republished by Catholic Online with permission of the Catholic Anchor (www.catholicanchor.org), official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Anchorage, Alaska.