Federal Issues of Concern to Our Bishops
(cf., USCCB, USCCB's Catholics Confront Global Poverty, USCCB's Justice for Immigrants, USCCB's Marriage Unique for a Reason's March 2017 Newsletter, Pa Catholic Conference, Human Life Action, Human Life Action's 12/16/16 email)
There are current alerts for the White House:
There are current alerts for our representative and senators in D.C.:
- Urge Congress to Enact the Conscience Protection Act of 2017! (Urge Congress to Enact the Conscience Protection Act of 2017!)
- In Solidarity with Refugees (Tell your legislators to suspend the refugee executive order!; Please Support the BRIDGE ACT and DACA Youth)
- Urge Congress to Address Hunger and Climate Change Now! (Protect Foreign Assistance to Combat Climate Change)
On the right side of the home page are links to send a combined email to the offices of Pa's congressional delegation and the White House, regarding most of the above positions.
- In addition, as per the National Committee for a Human Life Amendment/Human Life Action (an affiliate agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops), "the Senate passed the resolution of disapproval to override a rule change made late in the Obama Administration that prevented states from redirecting Title X family planning funding away from abortion providers like Planned Parenthood to community health centers that provide comprehensive primary and preventive health care. The House passed it in mid-February.... it is important to say, 'thank you' when a member votes for life as they often only hear criticism after a courageous vote. It is equally important that those who did not vote with us be aware that we are paying attention and that we expect better in the future" (https://www.humanlifeactioncenter.org/take-action).
State Issues of Concern to the Pa Catholic Conference, the Pro Life Coalition of Pa, and/or the Pa Pro Life Federation
- On the right side of the home page is a link to send a combined email to all of Bucks County's representatives and senators in Harrisburg:
- As per the Pa Catholic Conference,
- Support a Better Life for Human Trafficking Victims (While the Pa Catholic Conference is supporting SB 554, the fact that Senator Daylin Leach is one of its prime sponsors suggests that there should be careful assessment of whether this legislation and its implications are truly consistent with Catholic teaching.).
- Invest in Success: Expand EITC and OSTC Scholarships
- End Brutal Dismemberment Abortions
- No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion
- Support Positive Reform for Sexual Abuse Statutes of Limitation ("The positive, prospective changes in SB 261 will hold more abusers accountable for their crimes and will require all organizations, public and private, to improve their vigilance for keeping the children in their care safe. The Senate determined that amendments to allow retroactive lawsuits to be filed would be unconstitutional in Pennsylvania. Regardless, it is definitely unfair to today's individual Catholics. Bankrupting my parish, Catholic school, or diocese today penalizes the wrong people for the crimes of the past.")
- Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Religious Liberty
- In addition, as per the Pa Pro Life Federation,
- Let your state Senator know you don't want your right to vote for judges to be taken away (2/16/17)
- Oppose HB 111 (3/6/17)
- "House Bill 643, sponsored by state Rep. Matthew Baker (R-Bradford, Potter, Tioga Counties), would ensure that there are no time limits for prosecuting infanticide. The measure would also expand the window of opportunity for prosecuting illegal late-term abortions to five years after the alleged crimes occurred. The legislation stems from recommendations made by the grand jury in abortionist Kermit Gosnell's 'House of Horrors' case....House Bill 643 is one additional legislative effort to ensure that the horrors of Gosnell are not repeated in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" (3/13/17)
- Please also note that the Pro Life Coalition of Pa (4/21/17) supports
defunding PP in Pa. through the passage of S.B.300 in the 2017-2018 term. The Pa. Senate Finance Committee has scheduled a vote on S.B.300 at its 10:00 AM, Wednesday, April 26, 2017 meeting. The members of this Committee are
Republican
Scott Hutchinson (Chairman)
John DiSanto (Vice-Chairman)
David Argall
Ryan Aument
Patrick Browne
John Eichelberger
Kim Ward
Joe Scarnati (ex‑officio)
Democrat
John Blake (Ranking Member)
Jay Costa
Art Haywood
Vincent Hughes.
Please urge constituents of these Senators to contact them and request that they vote for S.B.300....
[Regarding the Dismemberment Abortion Ban, already passed by both chambers:] To the best of my knowledge, all the other pro-life organizations in Pa. also support running S.B.3 in the Pa. House instead of H.B.77. We wish to prevent another 'pride of authorship' stalemate in which the Senate will not run the pro-life House Bill and the House will not run the pro-life Senate Bill....Please contact the following Pa. House leaders and urge them to run S.B.3 in the House as soon as possible.
Speaker Mike Turzai
mturzai@pahousegop.com
717-772-9943
Majority Leader Dave Reed
dreed@pahousegop.com
717-705-7173
Health Committee Chairman Matt Baker
mbaker@pahousegop.com
717-772-5371....
"PP's evils include the routine and extensive cover-up of sexual assaults against minors by failing to make legally required reports on the abortions that they commit on minors....our Legislative Director, Ted Meehan, has been attempting to persuade Pa. DOH Secretary Karen Murphy to take the proper corrective actions....A response from an assistant to Sec. Murphy indicated that DOH would not be taking any actions against PP. So, Ted has led an effort to persuade members of the Pa. General Assembly to request certain records from the DOH that would indicate the extent of the failure of PP (and other abortion committers) to make legally required reports regarding suspected sexual assaults against minors. Ted's efforts have resulted in a letter from Rep. Matt Baker to Secretary Murphy that requests these reports....Please ask your State House member to add his or her name to this letter....
"Our organization has scheduled another Stand Up For Life Rally on Tuesday, June 6, 2017 from 11:00 AM-12:00 noon in our State Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg."
Additional Alerts
- Boycott Target and boycotts/actions from America Needs Fatima and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation
- The Pa Catholic Conference rhetorically asks " Should Doctors Be Neutral on Suicide?", asking us to urge the AMA to "Remain Opposed to Doctor Prescribed Suicide."
- Pro-Life Mercer: DefundPP Sat April 29 10am-12pm Hamilton 2279 Hwy 33 (Pro Life Educators, 4/21/17)
We need to be authentic witness to the sanctity of human life proclaimed by Catholic medical ethics.
- February 2017 looks at our Catholic
hospitals revealed a paucity of nfp-only obgyns and privileges for ivf specialists and associates of a practitioner involved with the glibly called ''fetal reduction.''
Holy Redeemer's ''Making Your Own Health Care Decisions'' fails to specify that immoral advance directives cannot be honored, while Saint Mary's ''Advanced Directives and Living Wills'' fails to specify teaching on nutrition and hydration.
Ads for providers of contraceptives should have no place in ''Catholic'' media, including parish bulletins - ESPECIALLY BECAUSE SOME PRODUCTS SOLD AS ''CONTRACEPTIVES'' CAN ACT AS ''ABORTIFACIENTS''! (Is this happening due to inadequate notions about ''cooperation''?)
Any use of so-called emergency ''contraception'' in Catholic hospitals should cease, because of the danger of abortion.
On the right side of the home page is a link to email USCCB President Cardinal DiNardo, USCCB Pro Life Chair Cardinal Dolan, USCCB Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth Chair Archbishop Chaput, and National Catholic Bioethics Center President John Haas, PhD, STL.
No comments:
Post a Comment