Rep Turzai - Please Act on SB 3

Representative Mike Turzai
House Majority Leader
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Dear Representative Turzai,

As you know, the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference lobbied hard, to prevent coverage of "elective abortions" in "Obamacare":

• "SB 3 assures all Pennsylvanians covered by an exchange health plan that they will not be forced to pay a separate premium to cover elective abortion. Without SB 3, every person enrolled (man or woman) in a plan within the Pennsylvania state exchange would be required to make a payment to fund elective abortion coverage for others....Without the opt-out, the government subsidized insurance plans could be used to cover elective abortions" (undated).

It was a cause for celebration on June 7th of last year, when SB 3 passed the Senate by a vote of 37 to 12.  Six months later, the house version of the bill - HB 1977 - passed by a vote of 146 to 45 on December 12.  Of those 146 representatives who voted pro life on that day, it is with pride that I note that there were at least 28 Catholic voters (i.e., Representatives Adolph, Barrar, Caltagirone, Carroll, Dom Costa, DiGirolamo, Galloway, Gibbons, Gingrich, Hanna, Harhart, Harkins, Harper, Hennessey, Hickernell, Killion, Marsico, Markosek, Matzie, Mirabito, Murphy, Murt, Roae, Sainato, Scavello, Staback, Toohil, & yourself).  My own representative, John Galloway, crossed party lines on that vote, recognizing that the sanctity of human life takes absolute preference over politics.  Among the 45 representatives who voted against HB 1977, I was dumbstruck to find that those anti-life voters included at least 7 Catholics.

After passing the House, this legislation should have moved quickly for Governor Corbett's promised signature.  Instead, there has been no further action.  Unbelievably, we instead seem to be witnessing a quiet acquiescence to "Catholic" representatives Paul Costa, Dermody, McGeehan, Pashinski, Sabatina, Santoni, and White, as well as all those who voted against HB 1977.  Those 45 representatives who voted against HB 1977 appear to be of like mind with Planned Parenthood and all others who are intent on seeing abortion coverage in the future Pennsylvania health insurance exchange. 

This pro life legislation passed the Senate and the House - It is shameful that it has not arrived on the governor's desk for a signature. 

Representative Turzai, please move SB 3 forward.

Sincerely,