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The Obama Administration announced last Friday it will not reverse an earlier decision to mandate that virtually all private health insurance plans, including those offered by Catholic employers, provide coverage for all FDA-approved "birth control" drugs and devices, sterilization procedures, and counseling with no co-pay. This mandate includes the emergency contraceptive drug Ella that can cause an abortion.
The rule is set to take effect August 1, 2012. Non-profit religious employers that do not now provide such coverage, and are not exempt under the rule's extremely narrow definition of religious employer, will be given one year-until August 1, 2013-to comply. Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, stated: "In effect, the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences."
The Administration announced this decision despite opposition from the U.S. Catholic bishops and Catholic partners including the Catholic Health Association, Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities USA, the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, numerous Catholic individuals, and other Catholic and religious allies that vigorously argued against the mandate and requested an exemption for religious individuals, institutions and ministries. Those requests were ignored and went un-answered.
The USCCB has vowed to oppose this mandate and is asking Catholics and others of good will to contact their U.S. Senators and Representatives to voice their objection to this unprecedented infringement on conscience rights and religious liberty, and to express support for the "Respect for Rights of Conscience Act" that would fix this injustice.
Missouri U.S. Representatives Akin, Graves, Hartzler, Long, and Leutkemeyer are co-sponsors of the "Respect for Rights of Conscience Act" in the U.S. House. Senator Blunt is the sponsor of the "Respect for Rights of Conscience Act" in the U.S. Senate. |
| ACTION REQUESTED |
- Contact your U.S. Representative AND U.S. Senators (see contact information in top left corner) and tell them that you oppose this government infringement on religious liberty and rights of conscience;
- If your U.S. Representative is a sponsor or co-sponsor of this legislation, thank him/her and encourage him/her to continue to fight for conscience rights in Washington;
- If your U.S. Representative isn't a co-sponsor of this legislation, ask him/her to support it;
- Thank Senator Blunt for his sponsorship of the "Respect for Rights of Conscience Act" in the Senate;
- Ask Senator McCaskill to support the "Respect for Rights of Conscience Act";
- Forward this e-mail to friends and family members;
- Report back to the MCC on what your representative and senator are saying.
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| THE MESSAGE |
- The HHS mandate is a direct attack on the conscience rights and the religious liberty of Catholics and others of faith who oppose including abortion-inducing emergency contraception and birth control coverage in health plans;
- Preserve rights of conscience and religious liberty for Catholics and other people of faith by supporting the "Respect for Rights of Conscience Act".
- (Where appropriate) Thank you for your support of the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act and keep fighting to preserve rights of conscience and religious liberty.
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