Congress has adjourned for its August recess.  When members of the House of Representatives and the Senate return to Washington in September, they will resume debate on various health care proposals.

As discussions continue on health legislation, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) affirms health care as a basic right belonging to all human beings and advocates measures to:

1.                  Protect the life, dignity and health of all from conception until natural death;

2.                  Prohibit federal funds from being used for abortion, prohibit mandated abortion coverage, and preserve the conscience rights of providers who decline to participate in abortion;

3.                  Ensure health care services for immigrant children (born and unborn) and legal immigrants awaiting citizenship (who are currently banned from Medicaid for five years under federal law).

Congress has adjourned for its August recess.  When members of the House of Representatives and the Senate return to Washington in September, they will resume debate on various health care proposals.

As discussions continue on health legislation, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) affirms health care as a basic right belonging to all human beings and advocates measures to:

1.                  Protect the life, dignity and health of all from conception until natural death;

2.                  Prohibit federal funds from being used for abortion, prohibit mandated abortion coverage, and preserve the conscience rights of providers who decline to participate in abortion;

3.                  Ensure health care services for immigrant children (born and unborn) and legal immigrants awaiting citizenship (who are currently banned from Medicaid for five years under federal law).