Christian doctors and nurses across the country are facing discrimination like never before. There is increasing pressure for Christian medical professionals to not only assist abortions or perform them — but to refer patients to other people who will kill their unborn children if they refuse to do so.
The Obama Administration overturned protections the Bush Administration put in place for Christian medical professionals and others who do not want to be involved in or promote abortions. Once President Donald Trump took over the White House from pro-abortion President Barack Obama, he re-instituted those protections and started a special office at the Department of Health and Human Services specifically designed to help those medical professionals who feel pressured or forced into assisting with abortions or referring for them.
Congress has the ability to pass legislation to provide even stronger protection for these medical professionals. Leading pro-life organizations like National Right to Life are calling on pro-life advocates across the country to urge their members of Congress to support the Conscience Protection Act. Here is more information from NRLC on that legislation and what you can do:
No medical professional should ever be coerced or bullied to participate in an abortion, or have his or her job threatened for not participating in an abortion. And when it does happen, these health care providers need legal protections and remedies like those found in the Conscience Protection Act (S. 301/ H.R. 644).
Congress must pass a new government-wide appropriations bill by March 23, when current spending authority expires. National Right to Life is urging that the Conscience Protection Act be enacted as part of this upcoming “must-pass” appropriations bill.
The Conscience Protection Act would significantly strengthen federal conscience protections for health care providers, and prohibits any level of government from discriminating against health care providers, including doctors, nurses, hospitals, and insurers who decline to participate in abortions.
The Conscience Protection Act would also empower victims to seek relief in court for violations of the federal conscience laws.
Please click on this link, which will guide you through simple steps to communicate with your federal legislators to urge them to enact this vital legislation this month. This will take only a few minutes.
Congress must pass a government-wide FY18 appropriations bill by March 23, when current spending authority expires. National Right to Life urges that the Conscience Protection Act be enacted as part of this bill.
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The Conscience Protection Act is urgently needed because of a growing number of actions by some state governments to compel participation in abortions by health care providers and others.
In 2014, the California Department of Managed Care issued a decree mandating that nearly all health plans in the state must cover all abortions. This directive was in blatant violation of the Weldon Amendment, a provision of the HHS appropriations bill that has been in continuous effect since 2004. Unfortunately, the 2014 California directive is part of a broader trend. An agency of the state of New York has already adopted an abortion mandate, similar to the California policy, requiring small group employers to cover all kinds of abortion. In 2017, Oregon became the first state to mandate abortion coverage at no cost in a state statute.
The Conscience Protection Act would prohibit any level of government from mandating that health care providers participate in abortion. It would protect doctors, nurses, hospitals, and health plans (and employers who purchase the plans). Most importantly, the bill empowers those who are affected by abortion mandates to file private lawsuits in federal courts.
