The Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has expressed its support for the passage of the ‘Protect Life Act’ (H.R. 358) in the House of Representatives. The Protect Life Act, sponsored by Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA) and Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) and 144 co-sponsors, would apply longstanding federal policies on abortion funding and conscience rights on abortion to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) passed in 2010. On 13 October, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 358 by a bipartisan vote of 251 to 172.
Deirdre McQuade, USCCB pro-life spokeswoman, commented that the Protect Life Act represented an important step towards authentic health care reform that respected the dignity of all, from conception onwards.
As Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, stated in his October 12 letter to Congress, the Protect Life Act will bring PPACA into line with policies on abortion and conscience rights that have long prevailed in other federal health programs.
McQuade further elaborated that the Protect Life Act would help protect vulnerable children, their families and doctors in several ways. The Act applies the Hyde Amendment to PPACA, thereby ensuring that federal funds will not be used to subsidize elective abortions. This aligns the law with other federal health programs such as Medicaid and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.
Furthermore, the Act helps to ensure that the government will not pressure health professionals to participate in abortion against their medical judgment, moral convictions or religious beliefs.
McQuade went on to say that it was now the Senate’s turn to help make health care reform life-affirming.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
