House Republicans pass bill funding Planned Parenthood, Obamacare
Bill requires all health plans to cover contraceptives, sterilizations
A $1.047 trillion bill funding the federal government through March 2013 has been passed by House Republicans. The bill includes the regulation that took effect on August 1 that will require virtually all health plans in the U.S. to cover, without fees or co-pay, sterilizations and all FDA-approved contraceptives -- including those that induce abortions.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), described the health insurance mandate as an 'unambiguous attack on religious freedom in our country' and a violation of the First Amendment protecting the free exercise of religion.
PrintThe bill also funds the government for six months into the new fiscal year and for almost five months after the November elections. Congress turned to the stop-gap measure after failing to pass any of the 12 appropriation bills necessary to fund day-to-day government operations.
Declared unanimously as an "unjust and illegal mandate" by the bishops of the United States, the body declared the Obamacare sterilization-contraception-abortifacient regulation one that violates the right to free exercise of religion -- not only of Catholic institutions, but also of Catholic business owners and workers.
The bill does not prohibit funding for either Obamacare programs or Planned Parenthood, nor does it stop the government from enforcing regulations, such as the mandate from the Health and Human Services Department that nearly all health insurance plans provide contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs free of charge.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), described the health insurance mandate as an "unambiguous attack on religious freedom in our country" and a violation of the First Amendment protecting the free exercise of religion. Boehner supports the CR along with the GOP House leadership.
The CR does prohibit the government from initiating any new programs or using the $1.047 trillion in the bill to carry out any programs or functions it was not engaged in during fiscal year 2012.
The bill prohibits grant programs that spend their allocations simultaneously block and other types of grant programs, from doing so with the money allocated in this bill.
The bill allows the government to continue executing the functions under Obamacare that it was carrying out last year and that Congress had funded. The government cannot move forward on implementing Obamacare outside of what it was doing last fiscal year.
It must be noted, that the bill does not prohibit funding of Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider.
According to its 2009-2010 annual report, Planned Parenthood received $487.4 million in government money; Planned Parenthood also performed 329,445 abortions in 2010.
© 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.
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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.
Keywords: Abortion, Obamacare, John Boehner, sterilization, birth control, Planned Parenthood
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Jason is right! The article is misleading and and it diminishes Catholic Online to print it. The House is trying to prevent a financial "train wreck" at the end of the year (in addition to the "financial cliff" in early 2013) with little help from the Senate and White House. The writer of the article is playing petty partisan politics.
Judy Claar....is Judy CLEAR.
It is far too late in these social justice debates with outright disobedience and political correctness approaches to today’s perversions of human behavior and betrayal of biblical truth for our hierarchy to simply urge the Laity into action. Our actions are of little consequence within the media and for the most part futile if we do not have the weight of authoritative clerical discipline and/or pronouncements supporting our voices.
Unless we witness prominent church officials and bishops condemning, defrocking and excommunicating these self styled ruling class individuals who present themselves as equally prominent laymen and/or politicians who openly challenge church law while imposing pain and suffering on the people with ill fated self endowed elitist rhetoric and socially lethal legislation the laity will continue to be recognized and labeled just as our president assumes us to be, uneducated uninformed bigoted homophobes clinging to our guns and Bibles.
It is spiritually inhumane for hierarchy and church leadership to not display promptly and publicly their condemnation of obvious Evil policies and practices by groups and individuals calling them by name defining the consequence of their actions for the discernment of the faithful as we would expect from truly devout shepherds.
Merciful Mother pray for us and especially our Holy Father.
Rob, Jason, & Steve, My view is a little different. "Like a forced necessary evil under the circumstances of law".
Yes, on the surface it seems irrational, especially if the GOP stands True to its Word; Considering that the US Bishops opposed it, which is natural, given their suit was ignored and put on hold until 2013; and Speaker denounced it as fringing upon Freedom of Religion.
Obamacare has been passed. Admit to that. The SCJ Upheld it as the law of the land. Admit to that. When the Catholic Church tried suit of Obamacare, the judge politely put it on hold for a year. Why? No debates. Wait a year until Obamacare is in effect. And, in the meantime, the above transpires...So wait, until hopefully Obama is re-elected. Then...there is NO Static.
Since Obamacare is the law of the land, I really did not see, in any type of reality, that the House had much choice. Call me naive, but that is how I perceived it. (Not saying I liked it). And they approved the monies only for a period of time into next year, on the chance RR is elected. With All that has transpired, Law demanded that they do this. And if RR are True to their word, (as Rob says, is anyone's guess,) Obamacare, will hopefully be repealed, and we will begin to show some signs to the Right To Life.
WE Catholics have had our blinders on for too long. The liberal Free thinking priests of our colleges have done their damageable thinking to young impressionable minds for too long. In short, they have turned them. And now look at what we have! Our Holy Father needs to "bite" the US as well! I do not say this lightly, but with the sad knocks of experience.
Sunday Blessings...
Dante stated in the Divine Comedy "the hottest place in hell is reserved for those who, in times of great moral crises,maintain their neutrality." Looks like the Republican leadership in the House to me. Men of integrity stand against evil when it is facing them. They do not wait so that they can take care of themselves first and then do good. There is no guarantee that the Republcans are going to win in November. I ,personally would say that had they been people of principle and had they defended their values they would have had God's help and would have had a better chance than they do now. For the last two years the Republican leadership with their lemmings, as followers, have always took the side of not defending their values and I would submit it is because they have none except giving people more things by creating jobs. That may serve us in this world but I doubt it will suffice to help us in the next.
I sincerely believe that even if they win which I doubt they will, they will say that they have to accept the new regulations regarding health care because the law states the regulations are necessary until March.
Anyway you look at it they threw me under the bus. I will not wait. I will determine if my health care provider is going to make me purchase these products that violate my conscience and I will drop out and suffer whatever consequences are due. Both Parties have proven to me they are not interested in individual conscience. It is not enougth to be outraged for me. You must fight fo me.
jason hull... is spot on!
Barrack Obama and the liberal drenched democrats lead by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have been able to hold the House republicans who, thank God were finally given a dose of common sense by the inclusion of Tea Party supported new members in 2010, in check with the threat of their rock headed lock step Senate derailing any legislation inconsistent with their agenda or the assurance of a presidential veto should it miraculously get by them. Since all appropriations to fund the government must begin in the republican dominated House, the democrats can blame them for allowing any potential shutdown of government. We will remain hostages or even worse unless there is a republican majority in the Senate with Romney in the White House. This kind of gangster government with a Chicago styled dictatorship must be replaced or America is doomed. Stop debating and procrastinating just face the facts head on and vote out these fraudulant fools.
The Republicans, for the most part, have betrayed us. That is why the cheated and connived to get the most wishy-washy candidate (and the only non-Christian) elected. In my opinion, it's time to secede or sink.
What good is the party platform if the members of the party do not vote on issues as their platform states. How many times are we supposed to watch them sell their souls for the sake of expediency and to avoid a difficult fight. Where exactly has allowing them to take the easy way out gotten us?? If Steve and Jason had been following what the Church has said about certain political positions held by some so-called "Catholics", there are certain issues that are considered to be intrinsically evil and one of those is abortion. If they can find it so easy to betray their faith "just this once" then what is stopping them from backing down when we most need them to be faithful. Also, this is not a standard that applies to all Republicans since they are not all Catholics. I, personally, find it reprehensible that Speaker Boehner could not stand up for the the issue of our First Amendment rights. I wonder which rights get thrown out the window next so that they can avoid a messy situation?!?!
I almost cannot believe I'm reading this on a catholic website site. Where is the outrage? Where is the protect religious freedom? Is there no choice? Are both parties the same?
http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=47611
Jason and Steve, I strongly disagree with you. If anything, this site is almost 100% conservative because there is rarely an article that holds the GOP accountable. In fact, I was pretty shocked to see this article.
But let's be real. All the bills you are happy they passed did so because they have a majority. And being the smart men they are, they know these will not pass. But they continue to pass these bills not because they are serious about really seeing change, but it's a way to use their jobs as campaign commericials. Case in point, this budget. If there were really serious about these issues, then they would be willing to risk their jobs to get it done. They don't mind being partisan hacks all day, but when it comes to actually getting it done, well that is another story entirely. Partisian hacks yes, statemen, no. They showed their true colors last time this happened. To vote as they did now only supports it further.
They did what they had to do to keep their jobs. Had nothing to do with what they actually support. The only thing they really support is keeping the power and perks that come along with their jobs. The house doesn't have a 12% approval rating for nothing.
Couldn't agree more with Jason. There is much information left out of this article. Tell us the real story. We know the Republican platform does not support abortion or the funding of Planned Parenthood for abortion purposes. It strongly supports the freedom of religion, which is so blatantly trampled in the ACA, know as Obamacare. Please do a follow-up article explaining why the Republican House voted overwhelmingly for this bill. You owe this to your readers.