Friday, January 8, 2010

U.S. Knights Urged to Oppose Abortion

Both the House and the Senate approved versions of health care reform legislation before leaving Washington for a Christmas break. A House-Senate conference committee will negotiate a single version of the bill upon their return this month (the House returns on January 12 and the Senate returns on January 19).

Knights and their families are strongly urged to contact their Senators and Congressmen during the recess, and ask that they support the House language authored by Representative (and brother Knight) Bart Stupak (D-MI), which retains the long-standing policy against federal funding of abortion. Stupak’s language was approved by a strong bipartisan majority in the House.

The Senate version of the health care reform bill does not ban abortion funding, and the American Catholic bishops oppose it: under the Senate version, “federal funds will help subsidize, and in some cases a federal agency will facilitate and promote, health plans that cover elective abortions,” the bishops said.

Contacting Senators and Representatives at their home district offices during the recess is an especially effective way of making them aware of your views on the abortion funding and conscience protection issues. This guide (http://www.kofc.org/un/cmf/resources/stam_holiday_actiontool_kit.pdf)provides useful information about contacting your Congressional representatives.

To read the U.S. Bishops Conference statement click here. http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2009/09-267.shtml

To read Supreme Knight Anderson’s recent Zenit column on the issue click here.
http://www.kofc.org/un/eb/en/news/releases/detail/549036.html

To contact your senators using the NCHLA web site click here.
http://www.votervoice.net/Core.aspx?AID=970&IssueID=19513&atid=15844&siteid=0&App=GAC&target=true&isVisited=true&targetID=39292360

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