Bart Stupak: “Our amendment is short and simple. It says that otherwise qualified organizations shall not be required as a condition…”

“Our amendment is short and simple. It says that otherwise qualified organizations shall not be required as a condition of receiving assistance to endorse, utilize or participate in a prevention method or treatment program to which the organization has a religious or moral objection. We should all be working together, Muslims and Catholics, to fight AIDS. In fact, Catholic organizations alone are caring for one in every four AIDS victims in the world. It makes no sense to disqualify them. Our language will give organizations of all faith an opportunity to join in this monumental effort to fight the pandemic. This provision will make sure that we do not arbitrarily disqualify organizations that have proven their ability to provide excellent care to those afflicted with this dreaded disease. I congratulate my colleagues for joining together to address this tragedy that can no longer be ignored.”