Calls on Family Research Council to Suspend Misinformation Campaign
Catholics United is welcoming the House Energy and Commerce Committee's decision last week to include language in proposed health care legislation prohibiting taxpayer dollars from funding abortion services. The amendment to the health care plan, put forward by Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.), also stipulates that abortion coverage cannot be included in a government-defined essential benefits package, that private insurers participating in the public exchange cannot be forced to cover abortion services, and that plans cannot discriminate against health care providers who do not perform abortions.
“The inclusion of the Capps Amendment represents a positive step toward health care reform that preserves existing policies prohibiting federal funding for abortion services and ensuring conscience protections for health care providers,” said Chris Korzen, executive director of Catholics United. “While some questions do remain, we are confident that health care reform legislation, when finalized, will represent a workable common ground solution that can find broad support from across the spectrum of the abortion debate.”
Despite last week's developments, the Family Research Council has refused to discontinue a misleading television advertising campaign intended to scare viewers into opposing the health reform package. Incredibly, the Family Research Council went as far as to denounce the Capps Amendment as evidence that the current legislative proposal will fund abortions.
“The Family Research Council's continued effort to distort the facts leads one to wonder whether the group's true intent is to derail health care reform," said Korzen. "Instead of issuing misleading attacks and inciting fear, the Family Research Council would do better to support efforts aimed at implementing abortion-neutral policies in health care reform legislation.”
Catholics United will be working in key states throughout the August Congressional recess to correct inaccuracies about health care reform proposals and to build support for health care reformin faith communities.
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