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ambitious_wenchThere's been talk about the Federal Refusal clause that was tacked on to the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education funding bill.
It reads: "None of the funds made available in this Act may be made available to a federal agency or program, or to a State or local government, if such agency, program or government subjects any institutional or individual health care entity to discrimination that the basis of the health care entity does not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions. In this subsection, the term 'health care entity includes an individual physician or other health care professional, a hospital, a provider-sponsored organization, a health maintenance organization, a health insurance plan, or any other kind of health care facility, organization, or plan"
OK, this is complicated. In short, this amendment to the LHHSE funding bill means that if a Catholic hospital is receiving funds from the US government and the state it is located in, and it refuses to provide abortions, or to provide the morning-after pill, or even to refer a patient to a competant doctor who can and will, and the state pulls its funding in accordance with its laws, the Government will pull ALL LHHSE funds from that state.
This means any funds for protecting and enforcing labor laws, child welfare laws (already underfunded and falling woefully short of protecting children in abusive situations), and educational funding. This is not punishment that fits the "crime", this is heavy-handed retribution. It also strips states of the right to enforce existing state laws that protect a woman's right to chose for herself, according to the dictates of her conscience. It punishes the entire state, down to the school children who have no say in the laws.
This is due for a vote today. Senator Boxer has proposed to use every tactic to slow this down. Here's what you can do: use the following tool to contact your legislators and tell them to strip this amendment from the bill. Tell them it deserves to be considered on it's own merit, and not be forced upon the states and people of America without full discussion.
It reads: "None of the funds made available in this Act may be made available to a federal agency or program, or to a State or local government, if such agency, program or government subjects any institutional or individual health care entity to discrimination that the basis of the health care entity does not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions. In this subsection, the term 'health care entity includes an individual physician or other health care professional, a hospital, a provider-sponsored organization, a health maintenance organization, a health insurance plan, or any other kind of health care facility, organization, or plan"
OK, this is complicated. In short, this amendment to the LHHSE funding bill means that if a Catholic hospital is receiving funds from the US government and the state it is located in, and it refuses to provide abortions, or to provide the morning-after pill, or even to refer a patient to a competant doctor who can and will, and the state pulls its funding in accordance with its laws, the Government will pull ALL LHHSE funds from that state.
This means any funds for protecting and enforcing labor laws, child welfare laws (already underfunded and falling woefully short of protecting children in abusive situations), and educational funding. This is not punishment that fits the "crime", this is heavy-handed retribution. It also strips states of the right to enforce existing state laws that protect a woman's right to chose for herself, according to the dictates of her conscience. It punishes the entire state, down to the school children who have no say in the laws.
This is due for a vote today. Senator Boxer has proposed to use every tactic to slow this down. Here's what you can do: use the following tool to contact your legislators and tell them to strip this amendment from the bill. Tell them it deserves to be considered on it's own merit, and not be forced upon the states and people of America without full discussion.
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no subject
Date: 2004-11-21 07:57 am (UTC)Good luck with stopping Bush, whichever way you choose.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-21 08:14 am (UTC)^5!
Edie
no subject
Date: 2004-11-21 08:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-21 08:24 am (UTC)Edie