Congress OKs pro-life conscience clause

By Tom Strode - Nov 30, 2004 - comment

Pro-life, health-care professionals recently gained a victory in Congress. Both the House of Representatives and Senate approved Nov. 20 a pro-life conscience clause.

The anti-discrimination proposal was approved as part of a $388 billion omnibus spending bill. The House endorsed the overall spending measure in a 344-51 roll-call vote, while the Senate later approved it in a 65-30 vote.

The White House has indicated its support for the anti-discrimination legislation.

The pro-life measure would prohibit grants to federal agencies or state or local governments that discriminate against health-care providers and entities that refuse to “provide, pay for, provide coverage of or refer for abortions.” The legislation would protect doctors, other health-care professionals, hospitals, health maintenance organizations, health insurance plans and other health-care entities. Because the pro-life measure is part of an appropriations bill for the 2005 budget, it will have to be renewed next year to remain in effect or be approved as stand-alone legislation.

The pro-life conscience clause survived despite the opposition of abortion rights advocates in the Senate. According to The Washington Post, Senate foes agreed not to seek to block the proposal after they were promised by Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee a vote could be held soon on a measure seeking to repeal the legislation.

The threat to pro-life, health-care providers apparently is not theoretical. Hospitals in Alaska, New Jersey and New Mexico that have pro-life policies already have been discriminated against, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops reported. The new measure was needed because current federal law has been interpreted to protect only doctors and medical training programs, according to the USCCB.

Reps. Henry Hyde, R.-Ill., and Dave Weldon, R.-Fla., sponsored the pro-life proposal.

Further Learning

Learn more about: Life, Abortion, Citizenship, Religious Liberty

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