Bishopsâ concerns include abortion,
conscience, immigrants,
affordability
Reaffirm commitment to work for
reform that respects life and dignity of all
U.S. Bishops: Current Health Care Bills Violate
Essential Principles; Will Seek Changes Or Have To Oppose
WASHINGTONâThree chairmen of the bishopsâ committees working on health
care reform urged the U.S. Congress to improve current health care reform
legislation, expressing their âdisappointment that progress has not been
made on the three priority criteria for health care reformâ cited in their
previous
letters.
The October 8 letter from Bishop William Murphy, Cardinal Justin
Rigali and Bishop John Wester reiterated the bishopsâ main concerns: that
no one should be forced to pay for or participate in an abortion, that
health care should be affordable and available to the poor and vulnerable,
and that the needs of legal immigrants are
met.
Bishop Murphy, Cardinal Rigali and Bishop Wester chair the U.S.
bishopsâ committees on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Pro-Life
Activities and Immigration,
respectively.
The bishops reaffirmed their commitment to working with Congress and
the Administration toward genuine health care reform, but stated, âIf
final legislation does not meet our principles, we will have no choice but
to oppose the
bill.â
âWe sincerely hope that the legislation will not fall short of our
criteria,â wrote the bishops. âHowever, we remain apprehensive when
amendments protecting freedom of conscience and ensuring no taxpayer
money for abortion are defeated in committee
votes.â
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has advocated
for health care reform for decades. The bishops wrote that âCatholic moral
tradition teaches that health care is a basic human right, essential to
protecting human life and dignity. Much-needed reform of our health care
system must be pursued in ways that serve the life and dignity of all,
never in ways that undermine or violate these fundamental values. We will
work tirelessly to remedy these central problems and help pass real reform
that clearly protects the life, dignity and health of
all.â
The full text of the letter can be found online at: www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/2009-10-08-healthcare-letter-congress.pdf
---
Keywords:
USCCB, U.S. bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, health
care reform, legislation, House, Senate, U.S. Congress, letter, chairman,
Pro-Life, Domestic Justice and Human Development, Immigration, immigrants,
the poor, conscience rights, abortion coverage, affordability, oppose