Respect Life

As thousands upon thousands of pro-life people — young and old — from across America descended on Washington Jan. 22 for the March for Life, there was encouraging news from Congress. The U.S. House of Represen­ta­tives passed the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2015” (H.R. 7).

Co-sponsored by Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL), the pro-life bill passed with bipartisan support by a vote of 242-179 on the very day the marchers served as a voice for the voiceless in the womb and strode to the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court building to show the nation they oppose abortion.

Cardinal Seán O’Malley, archbishop of Boston and chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said, “By passing this legislation, the House has taken a decisive step toward respect for unborn human life, reflecting the will of the American people.”

The bill codifies a permanent, government-wide policy against taxpayer subsidies for abortion and abortion coverage. It also requires health plans offered under the Affordable Care Act to disclose the extent of their coverage for abortion and the amount of any surcharge for that coverage to consumers.

As Cardinal O’Malley pointed out, “This lets Americans choose health coverage that reflects their values. Just as most Americans do not want their tax dollars used for abortion, they do not want their own health coverage misused to pay for abortions.”

It is our hope the U.S. Senate will address this important legislation immediately.