Counting Down to the Twitterfest

Below is the announcement from Penny Nance and the Concerned Women for America. I personally have mixed feelings about this one. I don't read bills being voted on in the U.S. Congress, full text of which is not always even available, and can't claim to know how much good or harm they'll do. This one, according to the Concerned Women who claim to know, will do some good as I see good--nobody should be obligated to participate in any medical procedure about which they have any misgivings whatsoever--but not enough; it leaves the virulent root, the mandatory involvement of the insurance industry, free to put out additional toxic growth. The Conscience Protection Act really needs to include language that protects patients and the doctors, dentists, physical therapists, etc., of their choice, from any involvement in the insurance gambling racket whatsoever. Not only should insurance agents be unable to dictate whether a doctor or patient should consider abortion; insurance agents should be unable to find out the names of patients who believe that honesty requires us to pay cash...as do I.

I should mention that, as my partner in blogging, Grandma Bonnie Peters, finally starts to become "old" in Tennessee, I'd feel a lot better about her health and safety if Obamacare hadn't forced the doctor of her choice out of practice for several months. GBP is still able to consult a doctor she trusts, and she's still able to use Medicare or Medicaid. (Now that she's 81 and has only a Social Security pension as reliable income, she's more qualified for publicly funded benefits than probably 80% of those who use them.) She's not, however, able to use Medicare or Medicaid to pay the doctor she trusts. For the tests and treatments with which she's willing to cooperate, GBP pays cash. And her pension is about $700, and her mortgage payment is about $500. The United States can do so much better than this...

The official Twitterfest starts in fifteen minutes.

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Last week, we alerted you to the Conscience Protection Act. Good news! Your calls and e-mails to your representatives were not in vain; the Conscience Protection Act, H.R. 4828, is scheduled for a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives this Wednesday. We need your help again! Please call or e-mail your congressman and ask for a “YES” vote on the Conscience Protection Act, legislation that will protect pro-life healthcare providers from forced complicity in an abortion and would also provide a private right of action, enabling victims of governmental discrimination to seek redress in court. This attack on conscience protection is not merely an empty threat from the Obama Administration; this is happening today in California, where officials have blatantly ignored longstanding bipartisan language known as the “Hyde-Weldon Amendment.” This language provides conscience protection for individuals, such as doctors and nurses, who choose to not perform abortions; while protecting pro-life pregnancy clinics from being forced to advertise abortion clinics. Additionally, it provides protection for insurance plans that do not cover abortions. Although the Hyde-Weldon Amendment outlaws such violations, there exists no private right of action for victims to seek relief in court. Administrative enforcement by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a bureaucratic nightmare and can take years. The Conscience Protection Act provides a way for victims to receive justice through the court system, not through years of Washington bureaucracy. The right of conscience should be guaranteed as an inalienable right, given by God, and protected by the First Amendment, but the Obama Administration has twisted it to fulfill the left’s political agenda. Discrimination against entities that do not want to provide for abortions must stop. Healthcare providers should not have to sacrifice their conscience rights and convictions under the farce of “healthcare rights.” Representative Joseph Pitts (R-Pennsylvania) hosted a panel last week regarding the Conscience Protection Act during which two pastors from California testified in favor of the legislation. Under current California law, churches are forced to subsidize elective abortion through their healthcare plans. Pastor Chris Lewis from Foothill Church rightly stated, “Jesus said, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s,’ but neither human conscience nor human life belong to Caesar.” Churches should not be forced to pay for abortions through their healthcare plans. There must be protection for the religious convictions of institutions and individuals. Healthcare professionals should not be forced to violate their conscience and help facilitate abortions. Instead of protecting religious liberties, the Obama Administration is protecting the abortion industry. Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) is pushing for support of this crucial piece of legislation, but we need your help. Please call your congressman and ask him/her to vote YES on H.R. 4828, the Conscience Rights Protection Act of 2016. Our legislative team has included brief talking points on H.R. 4828 for your phone call or e-mail: H.R. 4828 prevents government violation of conscience protection rights against health services providers that do not want to provide, perform, or refer abortions. The Conscience Protection Act will protect pro-life healthcare providers from forced complicity in an abortion and would also provide a private right of action, enabling victims of governmental discrimination to seek redress in court. We must support this legislation to protect the liberties that our Constitution demands and not allow a social agenda to dictate our public policy. Please vote “yes” on this crucial piece of legislation that helps protect the liberties of healthcare providers and violated individuals, while providing critically needed redress for such abuses. Thank you for your action on this, and for your support and prayers. Yours in the fight,

Penny Nance CEO and President Concerned Women for America "