Let Your Voice Be Heard! All Comments Will Be Made Public. Deadline: 11:59pm, April 9, 2009

No health care worker should ever be forced to participate in practices that he or she finds morally objectionable.

At the conclusion of his term, President Bush took steps to strengthen these protections of conscience. Now, President Obama wants to change them.

The Department of Health and Human Services allows the public to send in comments on these changes. Please see the instructions below and let your voice be heard.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMMENTING ON PROPOSED REVOCATION
OF HHS RIGHT OF CONSCIENCE RULE

On order from President Barack Obama, the Department of Health and Human Services is proposing to rescind the regulation it issued on December 18, 2008 entitled, “Ensuring That Department of Health and Human Services Funds Do Not Support Coercive or Discriminatory Policies or Practices in Violation of Federal Law.”

The public is invited to comment on this proposed rescission. All comments on this proposed rescission, though, are due by 11:59 PM on April 9, 2009.

Comments may be made electronically, by regular mail, by express or overnight mail, or by hand delivery or courier.

Electronically: E-mails may be sent to proposedrescission@hhs.gov. Alternatively, comments may be made online at http://www.Regulations.gov. Once on the website,
1. Click on the link “Select to find documents accepting comments or submissions”
2. Enter the keywords “Rescission Proposal.”
3. On the next page, click on “Send a Comment or Submission.” Attached comments preferably should be in Microsoft Word, but HHS also accepts WordPerfect and Excel.

Regular mail: Written comments (one original and two copies) may be mailed only to the following address:

Office of Public Health and Science
Department of Health and Human Services
Attention: Rescission Proposal Comments
Hubert H. Humphrey Building
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Room 716G
Washington, DC 20201

Express or overnight mail: Written comments (one original and two copies) may be sent by overnight delivery only to the following address (which is the same as the regular mail address):

Office of Public Health and Science
Department of Health and Human Services
Attention: Rescission Proposal Comments
Hubert H. Humphrey Building
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Room 716G
Washington, DC 20201

Hand delivery or courier: Written comments (one original and two copies) may be delivered before the 11:59 PM, April 9 deadline to

Room 716G
Hubert H. Humphrey Building
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20201

Because access to the interior of the Hubert H. Humphrey Building is not readily available to non-federal employees, the public is encouraged to leave their comments in the mail drop slots in the building’s lobby. A stamp-in clock is available for persons wishing to retain proof of filing by stamping in and retaining an extra copy of the documents being filed.

Please be aware that all comments will be made public, including any personal or confidential information included in the comments. Comments submitted to HHS will be posted online and are viewable by going to
1.http://www.Regulations.gov,
2. Checking the box that says “Select to find documents accepting comments or submissions,”
3. Clicking “Go.”
Comments will also be available for physical inspection by the public at the Humphrey Building.

Further information on the comment period is available from:

Mahak Nayyar
(240) 276-9866
Office of Public Health and Science
Department of Health and Human Services
Room 716G
Hubert E. Humphrey Building
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20201


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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

February 10, 2009

The Los Angeles Times today quotes NARAL President Nancy Keenan as saying that “[t]he votes just aren’t there” to pass major legislation like the Freedom of Choice Act at this time. The article also states that Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), FOCA’s sponsor in the last Congress, has no intention of introducing the bill in the immediate future. Pro-abortion forces are said to be gearing up to remove funding restrictions on embryonic stem cell research and abortion, such as the Hyde Amendment.

With this possibility in mind, two pro-life Representatives, Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Heath Shuler (D-NC) are circulating a letter in Congress that will ask Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Chairs of the House Appropriations and Rules Committees to either include all current abortion funding restrictions in upcoming spending bills or to allow floor votes on any such restrictions deleted in committee. Thus far, 90 Congressmen have signed the Jordan/Shuler letter. The deadline for Congressmen to sign the letter is Friday, January 13. To see a copy of the letter, click here.


January 28, 2008

The Senate this morning rejected an amendment offered by Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) to restore the Mexico City Policy that barred foreign aid money to groups that perform or promote abortions abroad. The amendment, which lost by a 37-60 vote, would have overturned President Obama’s Executive Order that now allows taxpayer money to pay for abortions in foreign countries.

The amendment was defeated on almost a straight party line, with Sen. Ben Nelson (NE) the only Democrat voting to restore the Mexico City Policy and Senators Collins (ME), Murkowski (AK), Snowe (ME), and Specter (PA) the only Republicans voting to fund abortions abroad. To see the complete roll call vote, please click here.

More on the Freedom of Choice Act
Current Legislation

For an update on current pro-life legislation, please visit http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/issues/. This page will give you guidance from the nation's top pro-life lobbying group, National Right to Life.

http://thomas.loc.gov - The largest public internet source for legislative information provided by the Library of Congress with a searchable database of congressional activity from 1969-present.

Pre-natal nondiscrimination Act - Introduced by Trent Franks on September 23, 2008

Click here to locate your representatives in Congress, to find out how they have voted, and to contact them!

Click here for tips on communicating with and visiting your representatives.

Click here to read transcript of Fr. Frank Defending Life, Season 9, Episode 2"Politics 101." Here he discusses communication with legislators with Capitol Hill activist Connie Marshner.

Supreme Court Cases on Abortion

To find out more, visit www.PriestsForLife.org