Bishops' Official Applauds Passage Of Pro-Life
‘Conscience Protection' In Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON (November 22, 2004) – A federal spending bill passed by
Congress on Saturday includes protection against discrimination for hospitals
and health care providers who decline to provide, pay for, or refer for
abortions. The provision, known as the "Hyde-Weldon Conscience Protection
Amendment," is named after its House sponsors, Reps. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.)
and Dave Weldon (R-Fl.).
"We applaud Congress' recognition that hospitals and other health care
providers should have a right to choose not to be involved in destroying
life," said Cathy Cleaver Ruse, Esq., Director of Planning and
Information for the USCCB Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities. "Over a
million abortions are done every year by willing abortion providers in this
country. It is outrageous to suggest that Catholic health care providers and
others with moral objections should be forced into the practice of
abortion."
"The threat of discrimination is not theoretical, it is real," said
Ruse. "Already, hospitals in Alaska, New Jersey, and New Mexico have been
discriminated against because of their pro-life policies."
Current federal law already protects "health care entities" from
having to perform or provide for abortions. The Hyde-Weldon Conscience
Protection Amendment was needed because current law had been misinterpreted to
protect only individual physicians and training programs, leaving hospitals,
health plans, nurses, and other health care participants without protection.
"This Amendment simply clarifies what should be obvious," Ruse said.
"Legal protection for ‘health care entities' should include the full
range of participants who provide health care – no one who provides health
care should be forced to participate in abortion."
"The opposition of abortion activists to this Amendment is telling,"
said Ruse. "The champions of ‘choice' worked to deny the choice of
health care providers to choose not to perform abortion. Here's more evidence
that ‘pro-choice' really does mean ‘pro-abortion.'"
November 23, 2004 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops