Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bill before us today. It is an urgent and necessary legislative fix. The Conscience Protection Act would simply make the protections of the Weldon conscience amendment more effective and permanent. The Weldon amendment has been the law of the land and approved by Congress as part of the appropriations process every year since 2004. Sadly, just 3 weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights ruled that the California Department of Managed Health Care did not violate the Weldon amendment when it unilaterally required abortion in all health insurance plans. Due to this governmental discrimination against plans that previously excluded abortion, conscientious objectors are being forced to cover abortion through their health plans against the dictates of their conscience. This bill protects those who do not wish to participate in, provide for, or pay for abortions by opting out. It is this right to decline involvement in abortion that requires these protections, and the protections simply allow an aggrieved party to seek judicial review through a civil right of action. I urge support of the bill. Energy and Commerce Conscience Protection Act Forum Testimonies Part II, Statement by the Hon. Dave Weldon MD Retired Fl-15, Congressional Forum on Conscience Rights July 8, 2016 Thank you for the opportunity to speak on this important issue.…”