AMERICAN FAMILY ASSOCIATION OF PENNSYLVANIA
Current Action Alert ( sign up to receive AFA of PA Action Alerts
Education
Issues
Homosexual Agenda
AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
April 2, 2009
1.) Public Comment Period for HHS Conscience Rules Ends April 9th
-- Ask Senators to Support Coburn Amendment
2.) Have You Sent Your Red Envelope Yet?
1.) President Obama is expected to rescind the collection of new regulations the Bush administration put on the books to provide better enforcement of three federal laws making sure medical staff and facilities are not forced to participate in abortions. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is taking public comment through April 9th. Planned Parenthood is directing thousands of comments supporting the rescission of the Provider Conscience Clause. Several steps have been taken to counter this and you can help too.
a.) In anticipation of the President’s rescission of the conscience clause, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) is sponsoring an amendment that would protect the right of conscience for health care workers. His budget amendment "ensures that the funds made available through the budget’s health care reserve fund will not be used to violate the conscience of health care providers."
b.) Additionally, Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Pennsylvania’s Senator Bob Casey sent President Obama a letter last week telling him the Provider Conscience Clause should remain. These are the only Democratic members of the Senate who are not strong abortion advocates.
c.) You can send a public comment to HHS, see below for instruction
2.) There has been an ongoing campaign to send a message to President Barack Obama. The message? Abortion kills! Have you sent your red envelope yet?
Here’s what to do:
a.) Get a red envelope
b.) Address the empty envelope as follows:
President Barack
Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave
NW
Washington, DC 20500
c.) Place this message on the outside:
This envelope represents one child who died in abortion. It is empty because that life was not allowed to offer anything to the world.
Life begins with conception.
d.) Stamp it, mail it, and invite others to do the same.
If concerned, these are the additional steps you can take:
1.) Contact Senator
Arlen Specter at (202) 224-4254 or use the webform at
http://specter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm
Ask Senator Specter to support the Coburn Amendment to the budget bill.
2.)Contact Senator Casey at (202) 224-6324 or toll free: (866) 802-2833 or use the webform at casey.senate.gov/contact/ Thank him for the letter sent to President Obama last week telling him the Provider Conscience Clause should remain. Also, ask him to support the Coburn Amendment to the budget bill.
---- Click here for contact information to district offices and fax numbers.
3.) Here’s how you submit public comment to HHS. Click here to read the actual rescission order. Click here to read some talking points from the Christian Medical Association that can be used. For more information on this issue, you can read Newt Gingrich and Rick Tyler’s article “Obama’s Attack on Medical Civil Liberties.”
n Comments could include postcards, emails and letters highlighting the importance of protecting the choices of healthcare providers who oppose abortion and the need for regulations to implement laws that protect the freedom of conscience. If conscience laws are not implemented and enforced, health care providers may be driven out of the practice of medicine thereby only adding to healthcare shortages, and reducing or eliminating women’s options to choose pro-life medical care. (see the rescission order linked above for contact information.)
n However, the best and fastest way to submit comments is via e-mail at proposedrescission@hhs.gov (Include specific examples in your comments, if possible.) NOTE: Comments must be submitted by April 9th.
Copyright 2002-2009 American Family Association of PA