Marginalization of Abortion Only Aspect of Draft Senate Healthcare Bill US Bishops Support

Condemning the US Senate’s draft healthcare bill, the only positive identified by Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, speaking on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Devel­opment, was the “language in the legislation recog­nizing that abortion is not health care.” Bishop Dewane praised the provi­sions attempting to “prohibit the use of taxpayer funds to pay for abortion or plans that cover it” and those that sought to strengthen the Hyde Amendment.

The bishop otherwise held that a healthcare bill that would reduce support for low-income individuals and families and fail to improve access for immigrants would be “unacceptable.”