Catholics for Choice Supports Reproductive Health Provisions in the Labor HHS Appropriations Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, June 23, 2022
Contact: John Becker, Press Secretary
Phone: 202-203-0931
Email: jbecker@catholicsforchoice.org
Catholics for Choice Supports Reproductive Health Provisions in the Labor HHS Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON — Catholics for Choice, which uplifts and amplifies the voices of the majority of Catholics who believe in reproductive freedom, issued the following statement from CFC Policy Director Shannon Russell about the fiscal year 2023 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) released late yesterday:
“Catholics for Choice is thrilled with the strong protections and robust expansions of sexual and reproductive health services, including abortion care, in the fiscal year 2023 Labor HHS appropriations bill. We call on lawmakers to maintain these pro-choice provisions and oppose any attempts to eliminate them or slash their funding.
“For the second year in a row, the Labor HHS bill omits the Hyde Amendment, ensuring that all people who obtain healthcare and/or insurance coverage through the federal government will be able to access abortion care, free from political or religious interference in private health decisions. It also omits the Weldon Amendment, which has long allowed hospitals, insurance plans, and even doctors and nurses to refuse to provide basic abortion care, often under the perverse pretext of protecting ‘religious freedom.’ And it includes robust and much-needed funding for critical initiatives like the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program and Title X, which provide people who are uninsured and/or with low incomes with affordable and comprehensive family planning and reproductive care.
“With the Supreme Court poised to strike down Roe v. Wade and decimate access nationwide, it’s never been more important for Congress to act swiftly to help ensure accessible, affordable care. Catholics for Choice is grateful to Chair Rosa DeLauro (a pro-choice Catholic) and Rep. Barbara Lee (who was educated by Catholic sisters) for their tireless leadership in this matter.
“Congress must also pass the EACH Act, which would end Hyde altogether and put a permanent stop to the federal government’s meddling in the coverage of abortion care in the United States.”
Catholics for Choice shapes and advances sexual and reproductive ethics that are based on justice, reflect a commitment to a person’s well-being and respect, and affirm the capacity of all people to make moral decisions about their lives.
