Our Catholic Bishops latest on health care

With action heating up between the House and Senate on reconciling the health care bill, the USCCB has issued a statement that they hope will be read in every Catholic Church at every Mass throughout the land this weekend.

Here it is:

"As long-time advocates of health care reform, the U.S. Catholic bishops continue to make the moral case that genuine health care reform must protect the life, dignity, consciences and health of all, especially the poor and vulnerable. Health care reform should not advance a pro abortion agenda in our country.

On November 7, the U.S. House of Representatives passed major health care reform that reaffirms the essential, longstanding and widely supported policy against using federal funds for elective abortions and includes positive measures on affordability and immigrants.

On December 24, the U.S. Senate rejected this policy and passed health care reform that requires federal funds to help subsidize and promote health plans that cover elective abortions. ALL purchasers of such plans will be required to pay for other people's abortion through a seperate payment solely to pay for abortion.

Outside the abortion context, neither bill has adequate conscience protection for health care providers, plans or employers.

These two bills now must be combined into one bill that both the House and Senate will vote on in final form. Provisions against abortion funding and in favor of conscience protection, affordability and immigrants' access to health care must be part of a fair and just health care reform bill, or the final bill must be opposed.

ACTION: Contact your Representatives and Senators today by email, phone or fax.
To send a pre-written, instant e-mail to Congress go to www.usccb.org/action.
Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121, or call your Member's local offices.
Contact information can be found on Member's websites at www.house.gov & www.senate.gov.

MESSAGE-HOUSE:
"I am pleased that the House health care bill maintains the longstanding policy against federal funding of abortion. I urge you to work to uphold essential provisions against abortion funding, to include full conscience protection and to assure that health care is accessible and affordable for all. Until and unless these criteria are met, I urge you to oppose the final bill."

MESSAGE-SENATE:
"I am deeply disappointed that the Senate health care bill fails to maintain the longstanding policy against federal funding of abortion and does not include adequate protection for conscience. I urge you to support the essential provisions against abortion funding, similar to those in the House bill. Include full conscience protection and assure that health care is accessible and affordable for all. Until and unless these criteria are met, I urge you to oppose the final bill."

WHEN: The House and the Senate are expected to vote on the final bill during the month of January.

Act today and thank you."

So this my friends is your only OFFICIAL position of our ordained teachers and leaders; the Catholic Bishops of the United States. Do you know the totality of the Catholic message on health care or do you rally to whichever political side you support?