October 12, 2011 10:21am


Payback? Obama drops grant to Catholic bishops

President Obama failed to renew the $19 million grant awarded to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for providing assistance to human trafficking victims.

The grant from the Department of Health and Human Service was awarded to the bishops in 2006 by President George W. Bush and funded the Migration and Refugee Services.

The office helped 2,700 victims of human trafficking obtain food, clothing and access to medical care.

Sister Mary Ann Walsh, director of media relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that she hoped the "position against abortion, sterilization and artificial contraception has not entered into this decision."

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families gave no reason to the Catholic Bishops for refusing to renew the grant.

“HHS’s primary focus in serving victims of human trafficking is ensuring that they have access to the high quality and comprehensive case management services they need,â€