Archives for July 2021

This week, the House Committee on Appropriations will mark up the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations bill, which currently excludes the 46-year-old Hyde Amendment and other longstanding, bipartisan provisions including the Weldon Amendment. Eliminating these provisions would force taxpayers to pay for elective abortions and force health care providers and professionals to perform and refer for abortion against their deeply-held beliefs, as well as force employers and insurers to cover and pay for abortion.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee for Religious Liberty, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a statement expressing deep concerns, saying:

“This is the most extreme pro-abortion appropriations bill that we have seen, effectively mandating healthcare professionals to participate in abortion, and forcing American citizens to pay for abortion with their tax dollars…We implore the House Committee on Appropriations to reverse course on these bills that currently expand taxpayer funding of abortion, and to restore the longstanding, bipartisan Hyde provisions and Weldon Amendment that have saved millions of lives and protected conscience rights.”

The full statement can be read here.

Without the Hyde Amendment and Hyde-related policies, billions of taxpayer dollars could be used to pay for abortion in the United States and throughout the world. Eliminating the Weldon Amendment would be an egregious violation of conscience rights by forcing individuals and entities to perform, pay for, or otherwise participate in an abortion against their beliefs. 

Don’t let our government make you pay for, or participate in, the taking of innocent human life.

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS NOW

Congress needs to hear from you: tell Congress to keep the Hyde Amendment and other Hyde-related policies, and the Weldon Amendment in the appropriations bills, and to oppose any bill that expands taxpayer funding of abortion.

To learn more, click here and here.

Governor Cooper has vetoed legislation that would ban abortions due to a Down syndrome diagnosis. The NC House has scheduled a vote to override the Governor’s veto on July 21st, the NC Senate would also need to override the Governor.

At least 30 votes are required in the Senate to override a governor’s veto, as well as at least 72 in the House. The Senate is made up of 28 Republicans and 22 Democrats, while the House has 69 Republicans and 53 Democrats. The Senate approved HB453 on June 10 with no Democratic “yes” votes. The House approved the bill May 6 with six Democrats voting yes.

Bishop Zarama has expressed his appreciation to lawmakers for this legislation as it supports the “dignity and sanctity of human life.”

Please contact your North Carolina representatives and urge them to override the Governor’s veto:

Urgent: Ask the NC General Assembly to vote to OVERRIDE Governor Cooper’s veto of HB453 (The Human Life Non-Discrimination Act)