US Bill Passes Allowing Conscience Rights for Pro-Life Hospitals and Medical Centers

WASHINGTON, November 22, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Both the US Congress and Senate approved a measure Saturday ensuring that state and local governments who receive federal health and human services funds cannot discriminate against health care providers because they do not provide abortions, pay for abortions, provide coverage of abortions, or refer for abortions. President Bush is expected to sign the measure into law.  The new measure, the “Hyde-Weldon anti-discrimination amendment,” is named for the Republican sponsors of the bill, Congressman Henry Hyde (R-Il.) and Congressman Dave Weldon (R-Fl.).  The protection covers doctors and other health care professionals, hospitals, HMOs, and health insurance plans, among others.  Douglas Johnson, legislative director for National Right to Life, said, “National Right to Life commends the congressional Republican leadership for this important new law, which will prevent state and local government officials from compelling health care providers to participate in killing unborn children.”  The amendment was approved last summer by the House Appropriations Committee and the full House, with support from the White House.  On Nov. 17 the White House sent a letter to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young encouraging retention of the amendment in the omnibus funding bill. The letter said that the Administration “strongly supports language added by the House to ensure that health care providers are not discriminated against because they do not provide, pay for, or cover abortions.”  The amendment was in reaction to judicial activists compelling health care providers to provide or refer for abortion services regardless of their moral opposition, according to Johnson. “Ten different courts said that no matter what the state constitution says, you have to provide abortions,” Johnson said, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.  Read Yahoo news coverage:  https://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=512&ncid=703&e=8&u=/ap/20041121/ap_on_go_co/congress_abortion   tv