Bishop Chairmen Welcome HHS Aligning Health Care Nondiscrimination
Regulations with Federal Law
May 24, 2019
WASHINGTON—Archbishop Joseph
F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, Bishop Frank J. Dewane of
Venice, Chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development,
Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln, Chairman of the Subcommittee for the
Promotion and Defense of Marriage, and Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of
Louisville, Chairman of the Committee for Religious Liberty, have issued a
statement welcoming today’s announcement of proposed modifications to
regulations implementing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.
Their joint statement
follows:
“We applaud the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for
proposing regulations restoring the long-standing position of the federal
government that discrimination on the basis of ‘sex’ does not refer to
‘termination of pregnancy’ nor ‘gender identity.’ These modifications follow the
legislative intent of the Affordable Care Act to ensure nondiscrimination on
the basis of sex in health care. The proposed
regulations would help restore the rights of health care providers – as well as
insurers and employers – who decline to perform or cover abortions or ‘gender
transition’ procedures due to ethical or professional objections. Catholic
health care providers serve everyone who comes to them, regardless of characteristics
or background. However, there are ethical considerations when it comes to
procedures. We are grateful for today’s important
step.”
A comment letter expressing concern with
the original underlying regulations, in which the USCCB joined in 2015, may be
found here: http://www.usccb.org/_cs_upload/about/general-counsel/rulemaking/192062_1.pdf.
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Keywords: United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, Committee
on Pro-Life Activities, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Bishop James D. Conley,
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, Department of Health and Human Services, conscience
rights, health care providers, abortion, elective abortion, Trump
Administration, civil rights laws, White House, discrimination, convictions,
sanctity of human life, gender identity, gender transition
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Media Contact:
Judy Keane
202-541-3200