Public Policy Insights for Archdiocese of Los Angeles - California Catholic Conference

No Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Act Passes U.S. House


The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 3) passed the U.S. House of Representatives this week with strong bipartisan support (251 to 175). The bill would permanently ban federal funding of abortion and forbid federal and state and local governments from discriminating against health care providers who decline to provide, refer for or pay for abortions. It must now go to the Senate.

Calling it a “decisive step” toward protecting life, the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops welcomed the news. (Read the statement.) In California, the Alliance of Catholic Health Care applauded the House for passing the measure that “will provide strong, unambiguous and permanent civil rights conscience protections to health care providers.”



“For nearly two decades, various California state agencies have threatened to compel California hospitals and health care workers to violate their consciences by forcing them to perform, participate in, pay for or refer for abortions. If passed by the Senate and signed by the president, H.R. 3 would end this discriminatory practice in California and other states,” said Bill Cox, President and CEO of the Alliance, which represents California's four state-based Catholic health care systems and their 53 hospitals.



Read the full story here. For more information, contact Carol Hogan, chogan@cacatholic.org.