It’s not too late to make your voice heard.
In just a few months, most faith-based organizations across the country will have to comply with a government mandate requiring that they offer potential abortion-inducing drugs in their employee insurance plans. Life advocates are encouraging people to ask their member of Congress to attach conscience rights language to the next funding or financial bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Obama administration is requiring faith-based organizations — including some hospitals and universities — to comply with the Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate by August. Rep. Diane Black introduced the Health Care Conscience Rights Act last month. The act would prevent the government from discriminating against employers, individuals and health care providers that chose not to help provide or pay for abortions.
“It seems the only feasible way to address this violation of religious freedom before that deadline is to add language like the Health Care Conscience Rights Act to the next ‘must pass’ bill needed to keep the government operating — most likely the debt-limit bill,” Richard Doerflinger wrote in an email last week to pro-life groups. Doerflinger serves the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as its associate director of the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities.
Both houses of Congress would have to pass this bill to keep the government running.
There are nearly 60 lawsuits challenging the mandate. Twenty-nine of those involve for-profit businesses, which had to comply beginning August 2012. In all but six of those cases, judges granted injunctions temporarily halting the mandate for those companies.
So far, 30 non-profits — including hospitals, charities, Christian colleges and Catholic dioceses — have filed suit. Courts have dismissed 19 of those, saying they can’t sue until after they have been hit with the mandate.
Doerflinger encourages people to contact their elected officials, urging them to add the language to the next must-pass bill.
“Many members of Congress still say they are not receiving messages from their constituents about this urgent issue,” Doerflinger continues in the email. “I am writing to encourage all who care about it to renew and expand your efforts.”
Employers who filed lawsuits against the mandate should also contact Congress.
“Organizations that filed comment letters against the mandate should send copies to their representative, with a cover note urging Congress to act.”
Take Action: Urge your Representative to Protect Conscience Rights TODAY
Contact your representative in Congress today and urge him or her to protect the rights of conscience for religious institutions and non-profit organizations. Ask your representative to stand against the HHS mandate by including health care conscience protection in the next “must pass” bill.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Read H.R. 940.
