Congress continues its work on three main health care reform bills—one in the House,
two in the Senate.

House: On July 17, the Committees on Education and Labor and on Ways and Means
favorably reported the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3200). During
markup (markup is when Members debate and vote on amendments and the bill) these
committees rejected amendments to exclude mandated coverage for abortion. The
Committee on Energy and Commerce, also working on the America’s Affordable Health
Choices Act, interrupted its markup two weeks ago and has not yet resumed while
House leadership and the committee chairman negotiate significant provisions of the
bill, including abortion coverage and conscience protections, with conservative and prolife
Democrats. The committee may resume the markup this week. If so, amendments
protecting conscience rights and excluding coverage for abortion will be offered.

House leadership has also said that they expect to bring the health care bill to the full
House before the House recesses for the August break. The leadership has threatened
to bring the bill to the floor regardless of action or inaction by the Energy and Commerce
Committee. It is also widely expected that amendments will be offered on the floor
protecting conscience rights and excluding coverage for abortion.

Senate: On July 15, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)
Committee voted out its bill, the Affordable Health Choices Act (not yet numbered).
During markup the committee rejected amendments to exclude federal funding or
mandated coverage for abortion and to maintain current state laws limiting and
regulating abortion. The Senate Finance Committee continues to work on a bill that it
hopes will be able to secure bipartisan support. It does not seem likely that an
agreement will be reached before the Senate recesses for the August break.

On July 17, Bishop William Murphy, Chairman of the Bishops’ Committee on Domestic
Justice and Human Development, sent a letter to Congress saying, “The USCCB looks
forward to working with you to reform health care successfully in a manner that offers
accessible, affordable and quality health care that protects and respects the life and
dignity of all people from conception until natural death.” Abortion must not be included
as part of a national health care benefit. “No health care reform plan should compel us
or others to pay for the destruction of human life, whether through government funding
or mandatory coverage of abortion.” Bishop Murphy argued that any legislation should
reflect longstanding policies “on abortion funding, mandates and conscience protections
because they represent sound morality, wise policy and political reality.” The full text of
Bishop Murphy’s letter can be found online at: www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/2009-
07-17-murphy-letter-congress.pdf

ACTION: Contact Members through e-mail, phone calls or fax letters. Call the U.S.
Capitol switchboard at: 202-224-3121, or call the local offices of your Representative
and Senators. Full contact info can be found on Members’ web sites at H
www.house.gov and www.senate.gov . It is particularly important that members of the
House of Representatives are contacted immediately.

MESSAGE:

1. Support long overdue health care reform that protects the life, dignity and health of
all, as an important national priority and moral imperative.
2. Support essential efforts to keep in place longstanding and widely supported
measures that: * prohibit federal funds to be used for abortion (with the exceptions in
current law for cases of rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother); *do not
mandate abortion coverage; and, *protect conscience rights of providers to not
participate in abortion.

Urge members of the House to take whatever steps necessary in Committee or on the
House Floor to oppose abortion funding, mandates or weakening of conscience
protections. Imposing abortion coverage or funding is bad morality, bad policy and bad
politics. Efforts to expand abortion will undermine attempts to pass needed reform.

3. Support effective measures to safeguard the health of immigrants, their children and
all of society by expanding eligibility for public programs, such as Medicaid, to all low-income
families and vulnerable people and offering adequate subsidies for cost-sharing
of insurance premiums and out of pocket expenses.

WHEN: House Committee and floor votes could happen at any time. Thanks!