A 1/9/18 report card on the defense of human life, marriage/family, and conscience

If you are going to the March for Life, please bring a copy for discussion with your representative and senators....

• The Hartzler Amendment to the Defense Spending Bill would have prevented tax dollars going to sexual reassignment procedures in the military.  “Faced with theories that consider gender identity as merely the cultural and social product of the interaction between the community and the individual, independent of personal sexual identity without any reference to the true meaning of sexuality, the Church does not tire of repeating her teaching: 'Everyone, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity. Physical, moral and spiritual difference and complementarities are oriented towards the goods of marriage and the flourishing of family life. The harmony of the couple and of society depends in part on the way in which the complementarities, needs and mutual support between the sexes are lived out' (Chapter Five of the Vatican's Compendium of Social Doctrine).  Representatives Boyle, Brady, Cartwright, Doyle, Evans, Fitzpatrick, and Shuster voted against the Hartzler Amendment. 

• No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion (H.R.7 /S.184): "The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. Now it will be considered in the Senate....Urge our Senators to support H.R. 7 to permanently protect our tax dollars from paying for or promoting elective abortions. " (Pa Catholic Conference).  Representatives Boyle, Brady, Cartwright, Doyle, and Evans voted against HR 36.  Neither Senator Casey nor Senator Toomey is a co-sponsor of S 184. 

• Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection (H.R.36 / S.1922): "On behalf of our country and the children whose lives are at stake, I urge you to support and request a vote on this common-sense reform offered by S. 1922 and to oppose all weakening amendments" (Cardinal Dolan, 10/17/17).  Representatives Boyle, Brady, Cartwright, Dent, Doyle, and Evans voted against HR 36.  Senator Casey is not a co-sponsor of S 1922.

• Healthy Relationships (H.R.2028): “Lifelong, faithful marriage between one man and one woman is the foundation of society….We are pleased to support the Healthy Relationships Act of 2017 and urge your colleagues to join H.R. 2028 as cosponsors” (Archbishop Chaput and Bishop Conley, 9/4/17).  No representative from Pa is a co-sponsor.

• “Expeditious passage of H.R. 1865 Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 (FOSTA) and S. 1693 Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) will move the country closer to striking a blow against the online havens that facilitate sex trafficking” (Patrick Trueman, National Center on SexualExploitation, 9/7/17).  Representatives Boyle, Cartwright, Costello, Dent, Doyle, Marino, Meehan, Perry, and Thompson are not co-sponsors of HR 1865.

•  H.Con.Res.80 - Expressing the sense of the Congress that assisted suicide (sometimes referred to as death with dignity, end-of-life options, aid-in-dying, or similar phrases) puts everyone, including those most vulnerable, at risk of deadly harm and undermines the integrity of the health care system. Only Representatives Cartwright and Rothfus are co-sponsors.

• Child Welfare Provider Inclusion (H.R.1881 / S.811): "We are pleased to support the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2017 and urge your colleagues to join H.R. 1881 as cosponsors. The freedom to serve in accord with one’s religious beliefs and moral convictions is foundational to religious freedom in our nation” (Archbishop Lori, Bishop Conley, Bishop Dewane, 4/10/17). Only Representatives Barletta, Rothfus, and Thompson are co-sponsors.  “We are pleased to support the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2017 and urge your colleagues to join S. 811 as cosponsors. The freedom to serve in accord with one’s religious beliefs and moral convictions is foundational to religious freedom in our nation” (ArchbishopLori, Bishop Conley, Bishop Dewane, 4/10/17).  Neither Senator Casey nor Senator Toomey is a co-sponsor. 

• (reintroduced) First Amendment Defense, "The USCCB continues to support the First Amendment Defense Act, the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act, and the Healthy Relationships Act in Congress" (USCCB, 1/1/18).

•  Conscience Protection  (H.R.644 / S.301). Only Representatives Kelly, Perry, Rothfus, and Smucker are co-sponsors of HR 644. Neither Senator Casey nor Senator Toomey is a co-sponsor of S 301. 

   

Only Representative Keith Rothfus deserves an A-.  

Thank you, Representative Rothfus.