The following is from the Social Action Office of the Archdiocese:
Urge the U.S. Senate to End Taxpayer Funding of Abortions under the Affordable Care Act
For some time, the U.S. Catholic bishops, and the Catholic Social Action Office locally, have advocated for affordable health care for all while avoiding any taxpayer support for abortions. The following action alert is being promoted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Thank you for your advocacy!
Please urge your two U.S. Senators to co-sponsor and support the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Acts. After the elections, the Senate will be in session starting November 12. Now is the time to express your views. Please click here to send messages to your Senators today!
What has developed is this. On September 15, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report identifying over a thousand health plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that cover elective abortions, many of which do not inform enrollees about the inclusion or cost of abortion coverage. These problems flow directly from defects in the ACA. Earlier this year, the House combined two measures that would correct these problems, passing the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act (H.R. 7). The Senate must act. It should take up and pass H.R. 7, or pass the separate Senate bills, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (S. 946) and the Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act (S. 1848). The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act would place in permanent law a consistent policy against using federal tax dollars to support or promote elective abortion. Since 1976 this principle has been embodied in the Hyde amendment and many other laws. That longstanding policy should be applied to the ACA. At a minimum, the Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act would ensure that enrollees are fully informed about abortion coverage and abortion premiums in the ACA’s health care plans so they can choose a plan in accord with their moral principles.
Thanks for all that you do in support of life!
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