| The Catholic bishops of the United States are
speaking out clearly -- both individually and collectively --
against the unjust HHS mandate due to its infringement on conscience
rights and religious liberty.
CLICK HERE to write to Congress now !!.
. . Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, president of the USCCB,
sharply criticized the decision by the Obama administration in which
it "ordered almost every employer and insurer in the country to
provide sterilization and contraceptives, including some
abortion-inducing drugs, in their health plans....Never before has
the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go
out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their
conscience. This shouldn't happen in a land where free exercise of
religion ranks first in the Bill of Rights."
He urged Catholics and the public at large to speak out in
protest. Watch his video & then
take action today. . . !
USCCB Responds to Misleading White House Blog Entry
"White
House Misrepresents Its Own Contraceptive Mandate"
The Obama administration, to justify its widely-criticized
mandate for contraception and sterilization coverage in private
health plans, has posted a set of false and misleading claims on the
White House blog ("Health Reform, Preventive Services, and Religious
Institutions," February 1). This new USCCB fact sheet quotes and
responds to each claim in turn.
More Background
The HHS has issued a rule forcing nearly all private health plans
to include coverage for all FDA-approved prescription contraceptive
drugs and devices, as well as surgical sterilization. These are
listed among "preventive services for women" that all health plans
will have to cover without co-pays or other cost-sharing --
regardless of whether the insurer, the employer or other plan
sponsor, or even the woman herself objects to such
coverage.
The exemption provided for "religious employers" is so narrow
that it fails to cover the vast majority of faith-based
organizations, including Catholic hospitals, universities, and
service organizations that help millions every year. Ironically, not
even Jesus & his disciples would have qualified.
During the public comment period last fall, the bishops'
grassroots campaign alone generated over 57,000 comments to HHS
opposing their mandate.
Now that the Administration has refused to recognize the
Constitutional conscience rights of organizations and individuals
who oppose the mandate, the bishops are now urging Catholics and
others of good will to fight this unprecedented attack on conscience
rights and religious liberty.
More than
400 Catholic leaders have
called on Congress and the Administration to protect conscience
rights in health care. The open letter appeared as a
full page ad featuring over
150 of those leaders in the New York Times and the Washington Post
on December 21.
Get Informed & Take Action Now
Write to Congress. . .
urging support for the Respect for Rights of Conscience
Act (H.R. 1179, S. 1467).
Share this page with others so they can get informed & take
action, too. Social media & e-mail options are found under "SHARE"
at the upper right of this page -- and at the upper right corner
of
Cardinal-designate Dolan's video.
. . .
Will contraception really be "free" under this coercive
mandate? Read Richard Doerflinger's column "The
High Costs of 'Free' Birth Control" to find out.
There's lots of confusion about what the HHS edict involves.
For a quick summary, see our 2-page
FAQ called
The HHS Mandate for
Contraception/Sterilization Coverage: An Attack on Rights of
Conscience.
For more information on the HHS mandate and its inadequate
conscience protection, read our
Preventive
Services Backgrounder.
Select News Releases
-
Bishops Decry HHS Rule, Urge Catholics to
Stand Up for Religious Liberty and Conscience Rights in Homilies
at Vigil for Life - January 23, 2012
-
Cardinal-Designate Dolan Speaks Out Against
HHS Rule, Calls For Action In New Web Video
- January 20, 2012
-
U.S. Bishops Vow to Fight HHS Edict
- January 20, 2012
-
U.S. Bishops Welcome Pope's Reaffirmation of
Religious Liberty During Ad Limina Visit -
January 19, 2012
-
Bishops Hail Court Decision Upholding
Religious Liberty - January 11, 2012
-
Cardinal Calls For Greater Conscience
Protection In Health Care Reform On Eve Of Subcommittee Hearing
- November 1, 2011
-
Cardinal Reaffirms Support for Respect for
Rights of Conscience Act, Cites HHS Mandate as Cause for Urgency
- September 7, 2011
-
USCCB Urges Rescission of HHS Contraceptive
Mandate,Criticizes 'Inexplicably Narrow' Definition of Religious
Freedom - August 31, 2011
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