WASHINGTON— Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, and Russell D. Moore, Ph.D., president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, hailed the introduction of S. 1204 by Senators Tom Coburn and Deb Fischer and urged U.S. Senators to support passage of the Health Care Conscience Rights Act. S. 1204 is identical to H.R. 940 in the House of Representatives.
In a June 21 letter, Archbishop Lori and Moore, as leaders of the religious liberty efforts of the two largest religious denominations in the United States, asked legislators to support the Health Care Conscience Rights Act. They noted that "many people are being forced—and many others will soon be forced—to either follow what the government compels or suffer for their faith… [N]ow is the time to pass legislation that protects our God-given freedom."
The legislation would extend the longstanding federal policy on conscience to the new coverage mandates for private health plans created by the Affordable Care Act so that Americans are not forced to violate their fundamental moral and religious convictions in order to offer, sponsor, or purchase health coverage. The legislation also clarifies current nondiscrimination laws to improve protection of individuals and institutions that decline involvement in abortion, allowing the victims of discrimination to vindicate their rights in court.
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