Thursday December 9, 2004

President Bush Signs Federal Conscience Bill into Law

WASHINGTON, December 9, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Yesterday, President Bush signed an appropriations bill containing language that would protect hospitals, medical professionals and health insurance providers from being forced to participate in or pay for abortions.

The language insures that state and local governments that are recipients of federal dollars from the Health and Human Services Department cannot discriminate against hospitals, medical professionals and health insurance providers that do not perform abortions, pay for abortions, provide insurance coverage for abortions or make abortion referrals.

Wisconsin Right to Life was very pleased with the new legislation. "We deeply appreciate President Bush's efforts to protect members of the medical profession and health care providers from being forced to participate, either directly or indirectly, in the taking of human life through abortion," said Susan Armacost, Legislative Director for Wisconsin Right to Life.

Pro-abortion organizations, such as Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, have become notorious for successful efforts to force hospitals and insurance companies to commit or pay for abortions. They are currently enraged over the appropriations bill amendment and characterise it as a denial of "choice" and "women's rights" to obtain abortions from those facilities or professionals who choose to decline, for conscience reasons, to participate in abortions. However, despite the law, abortions are likely to continue to be widely available from others.

jhw

URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/dec/04120904.html

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