Thread: Catholic nuns break with bishops on abortion, back heathbill

Catholic nuns break with bishops on abortion, back Obama health bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Catholic nuns are urging Congress to pass President Barack Obama's health care plan, in an unusual public break with bishops who say it would subsidize abortion.

Some 60 leaders of religious orders representing 59,000 Catholic nuns Wednesday sent lawmakers a letter urging them to pass the Senate health care bill. It contains restrictions on abortion funding that the bishops say don't go far enough.

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"Despite false claims to the contrary, the Senate bill will not provide taxpayer funding for elective abortions. It will uphold long-standing conscience protections and it will make historic new investments — $250 million — in support of pregnant women," wrote the nuns, in a letter released by Network, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby. "This is the REAL pro-life stance, and we as Catholics are all for it."

The endorsement reflected a division within the church. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops opposes the Senate-passed legislation, contending it would, in fact, permit the use of federal funds for elective abortions.

The abortion issue has long split Democrats, 40 of whom voted for an earlier House bill only after it was changed at the last minute to stiffen restrictions on the availability of abortions under a new insurance marketplace that would be established under the bill.

Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan, a leader of the anti-abortion Democrats, has said at least a dozen of the 40 intend to oppose the bill — and Rep. Steven Driehaus of Ohio announced through an aide he intends to be among them. The first-term lawmaker faces a difficult re-election race next fall against the man he defeated in 2008.

So far, three of the 40, Reps. Dale Kildee of Michigan; James Oberstar of Minnesota and Richard Neal of Massachusetts, have said they intend to support the legislation in the next vote.

The original House bill banned health plans receiving government subsidies from covering abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. Women who wanted insurance coverage for abortion would have to buy a separate policy.

Unlike the House bill, the Senate-passed measure would allow insurance plans to cover abortions provided consumers paid separately from the rest of their coverage. A woman who wants coverage for abortion would have to write two checks to her health insurance plan.

Because of complex parliamentary rules in the Senate, Democrats have concluded they cannot use the fix-it bill to make changes in the abortion provision, leaving anti-abortion lawmakers with a take-it-or-leave-it choice.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2 ... alth_N.htm

This is about the founding fathers and the American constitution vs government take over.

The nuns can say what they want but they can not speak for our founding fathers and the people who founded this country.

I would never care what they would say - over my country.