Memo to Stupak: Nuns Back Reform as "Real Pro-Life Stance"

 

There is no question that the debate about abortion rights has interrupted and undermined the push for health-care reform.

Indeed, the refusal to support President Obama's proposal by a handful of House Democrats who oppose a woman's right to choose has emerged as a serious roadblock.

Were it not for the demands of Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak and a few of his allies in the House Democratic Caucus -- who want to include anti-choice language so extreme that it would undermine the reproductive rights even of women who pay for their own insurance -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would already have the 216 votes she needs to pass the legislation being promoted by President Obama.

The rejectionist stance of Stupak and other Democrats who represent urban and rural districts with large Roman Catholic populations has been encouraged by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), which has taken an especially hard-line stance in analyzing reform proposals.

The bishops are actually supporters of broad health-care reform. Indeed, last summer, the USCCB's Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development sent a statement to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate sdeclaring that "health care is not a privilege but a right and a requirement to protect the life and dignity of each person."

That was the right line.

Two months later, in a letter to members of Congress, the three bishops leading the USCCB's monitoring of the health-care reform process restated that view, arguing that: "Catholic moral tradition teaches that health care is a basic human right, essential to protecting human life and dignity."

However, they added a codicil: Noting committee votes that had rejection of sweeping anti-abortion language -- which would have gone further than existing law or practice -- the bishops wrote: "If acceptable language in these areas cannot be found, we will have to oppose the health care bill vigorously."

And so they did, creating the opening for the draconian Stupak amendment to the House legislation and setting up the current impasse.

Now, however, new Catholic voices have entered the debate, adding nuance and character to the discussion.

On Wednesday, an influential retired bishop announced his support for Obama's proposal. Retired Bishop John E. McCarthy of Austin, Texas, recalled his personal opposition to abortion rights but noted that Obama's proposal would maintain existing restrictions on the use of taxpayer funds to pay for the procedure.

While he acknowledged that many bishops would like to extend those restrictions even further, Bishop McCarthy noted that the church has for four decades advocated for health care for all.

Arguing that Obama's proposal moves the country in the durection of that goal, the Texas bishop says: let's not kill it at this crucial moment."

And he's not alone.

The nuns are stepping up.

On Wednesday, NETWORK, the national Catholic social justice lobby, announced that some 60 leaders of religious orders representing 59,000 Catholic nuns -- including many in Wisconsin -- would begin actively lobbying for passage of the reform legislation as Obama has outlined it.

Arguing that "despite false claims to the contrary, the Senate bill will not provide taxpayer funding for elective abortions," the nuns advanced the view that providing more health-care services to vulnerable women -- as the bill does -- "is the real pro-life stance."

Here's the letter from the nuns:

We write to urge you to cast a life-affirming "yes" vote when the Senate health care bill (H.R. 3590) comes to the floor of the House for a vote as early as this week. We join the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA), which represents 1,200 Catholic sponsors, systems, facilities and related organizations, in saying: the time is now for health reform AND the Senate bill is a good way forward.

As the heads of major Catholic women's religious order in the United States, we represent 59,000 Catholic Sisters in the United States who respond to needs of people in many ways. Among our other ministries we are responsible for running many of our nation's hospital systems as well as free clinics throughout the country.

We have witnessed firsthand the impact of our national health care crisis, particularly its impact on women, children and people who are poor. We see the toll on families who have delayed seeking care due to a lack of health insurance coverage or lack of funds with which to pay high deductibles and co-pays. We have counseled and prayed with men, women and children who have been denied health care coverage by insurance companies. We have witnessed early and avoidable deaths because of delayed medical treatment.

The health care bill that has been passed by the Senate and that will be voted on by the House will expand coverage to over 30 million uninsured Americans. While it is an imperfect measure, it is a crucial next step in realizing health care for all. It will invest in preventative care. It will bar insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions. It will make crucial investments in community health centers that largely serve poor women and children. And despite false claims to the contrary, the Senate bill will not provide taxpayer funding for elective abortions. It will uphold longstanding conscience protections and it will make historic new investments – $250 million – in support of pregnant women. This is the REAL pro-life stance, and we as Catholics are all for it.

Congress must act. We are asking every member of our community to contact their congressional representatives this week. In this Lenten time, we have launched nationwide prayer vigils for health care reform. We are praying for those who currently lack health care. We are praying for the nearly 45,000 who will lose their lives this year if Congress fails to act. We are also praying for you and your fellow Members of Congress as you complete your work in the coming days. For us, this health care reform is a faith mandate for life and dignity of all of our people.

We urge you to vote "yes" for life by voting yes for health care reform in H.R. 3590.

For a list of signers, visit the NETWORK site, which also features details of the endorsement of the Senate bill by the Catholic Health Association and a statement from the Catholic social justice lobby that reads:

NETWORK has been a strong faith advocate for healthcare reform for many years, and is on record supporting passage of the current bill. Like Sister Carol Keehan, we acknowledge that the current bill is not perfect, but it is a highly significant first step toward making healthcare available to millions of people who cannot afford coverage. We also agree with those who state that increased access to healthcare will reduce abortion rates. Maintaining the status quo will keep those rates higher while many people will also be denied lifesaving medical care. This is the opposite of prolife, and our nation deserves better.

It is time to move beyond politics and grandstanding. We need healthcare reform now.

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Pro-Abortion Activist Challenges Pro-Life Bart Stupak in Democratic Primary
Excerpt from an article by Steven Ertelt LifeNews.com Editor March 16, 2010