Posted on 03/13/2010 2:42:31 PM PST by PhiKapMom
David Gibson
Posted: 03/13/10
The head of the national association of Catholic hospitals, which holds great sway in the health care debate, threw her support Saturday behind the contested Senate reform bill in a move that could give a major boost to the legislation's prospects.
But the endorsement of Sister Carol Keehan, president of the Catholic Health Association, could also put the nun and her organization at odds with the Catholic hierarchy, which continues to oppose the bill due to its provision on abortion coverage.
As Politics Daily has reported, the Senate bill does not appear to allow for abortion funding, contrary to what many pro-life critics have claimed. But the dispute is proving pivotal to the bill's chances in the House, where a cadre of pro-life Democrats, led by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) has threatened to sink the it if their demands for stronger anti-abortion language are not met.
In her statement Saturday, Keehan make it clear that she thinks any qualms about abortion language in the Senate version can be resolved, and in any event are not enough to justify opposition to what Catholic leaders say is a pro-life issue and a "human right" -- universal and affordable health care.
"We said there could not be any federal funding for abortions, and there had to be strong funding for maternity care, especially for vulnerable women," Keehan said. "The bill now being considered allows people buying insurance through the exchange to use federal dollars in the form of tax credits and their own dollars to buy a policy that covers their health care. If they choose a policy with abortion coverage, then they must write a separate personal check for the cost of that coverage."
Throughout the debate, the CHA's Keehan has been a target of conservative critics who think she has been too favorable to the Democratic legislation. Keehan has always insisted that she has the same concerns as the Catholic bishops and is in agreement with them on the abortion issue.
But the impending vote in the Senate through a reconciliation process is forcing everyone to show their hand, and could bring the moment when the bishops and CHA diverge.
How such a division could affect the dynamic in Congress is unclear. Some fence-sitters could find Keehan's endorsement the kind of political cover they need to vote for a bill that is so critical to the agenda of the Democratic Party and the president. The Catholic Health Association represents 1,200 hospitals and other health providers.
But Keehan is not part of the Catholic hierarchy, and how the bishops react will undoubtedly carry greater weight with Rep. Stupak and others who have said they will oppose the bill unless they are convinced it will not use taxpayer moeny to fund abortions.
Keehan said she would keep any eye on the process in Congress. "We expect to see charges and counter-charges about what is in the bill, and how it will work," she said. "We need to carefully review is provisions, its safeguards and its implementation schedule and help everyone understand what the actual proposal is."
It’s not any Catholic group I want to be associated with, thank you.
If you are Catholic, you need to contact your Priest, Bishop, or anyone else in the heirarchy and make a formal complaint against the Head of Catholic Hospitals.
Makes me want to stay away from their hospitals with someone like this running them.
How many times is this same story going to be posted today?
What, AGAIN? How convenient for Obie and ObieCare, isn’t it? and the TIMING, comong how it does with multiple, unsubstiantiated attaks on the pope all of a sudden...no, NO coincidence, of course not.
This group is a Obamunist fringe group, NOT the RCC.
Im posting it on the hour
LOL
Great. Another socialist catholic.
Good move; dumb asses.
Wait, the media will go to Father Jenkins the head of the Jenkinsist Catholic Church of America (JCCA) and ask HIM what HE thinks of Keenan. What do you think Obama’s pal will say? I’m surprised Kennan didn’t make a joint statement with Frances Kissling the head fraud at “Catholics for Choice.”
Next the media will go to Father Jenkins the head of the Jenkinsist Catholic Church of America (JCCA) and ask HIM what HE thinks of Keehan. What do you think Obama’s pal will say?
I’m surprised Keehan didn’t make a joint statement with Frances Kissling the head fraud at “Catholics for Choice.”
Isaiah 54:17
no weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the LORD.
Brought to you by the same people who will give communion to abortion advocates...Ugh!!!
My daughter attends a co-ed Catholic high school. They only had one nun and she was the only liberal on the school; staff. As soon as she retired, the principal immediately disbanded the Amnesty International Chapter the nun had ran and told the students if they were interest in social justice they could join the Right to Life Club.
Why do pro-aborts continue to pretend to BE Catholic, let alone claim to represent Catholics?
These are ted kennedys type of Catholics
I’m a Holy Roller, and I wouldn’t want to be associated with any group that supports GENOCIDE. Abortion is a benign word, GENOCIDE grabs your attention and reminds you of hitler.
Defeat Obamacare call list: List now contains the new MAYBES culled from FR posts. IF you have a name to add let me know and I will add it.
PLEASE CALL! DC OFFICE LOCAL OFFICE State District
Code Red” - House Target List on Health Care
The National Republican Congressional Committee has published a target list on health care. In addition to continuing to contact the five Tennessee Democrat Congressmen, you can go http://www.votervoice.net/link/clickthrough/ext/94697.aspx to contact some of these targets. Much of the talk following Obama’s announcement has focused on how to defeat this second bill through reconciliation, but that is misleading because the first step to defeating Obamacare is not by concentrating on defeating the “fixer” bill but by defeating the Senate bill in the House when it goes to the floor for an up-or-down vote on Thursday, March 18th.
Rep. Lincoln Davis 202-225-6831 Columbia office: 931-490-8699
Rep. Jim Cooper 202-225-4311 Nashville office: 615-736-5295
Rep. Bart Gordon 202-225-4231 Murfreesboro office: 615-896-1986
John Tanner (202) 225-4714, Union City, (731) 885-7070, Jackson Phone: (731) 423-4848, Millington (901) 873-5690 TN (MAYBE)
Rep. Steve Cohen 202-225-3265 Memphis office: 901-544-4131
Harry Mitchell (202) 225-2190 (480) 946-2411 AZ 5th District
Gabrielle Giffords (202) 225-2542 (520) 881-3588 AZ 8th District
Ann Kirkpatrick (202) 225-2315 (928) 226-6914 AZ 1st District
Jerry McNerney (202) 225-1947 925-833-0643 CA 11th District
John Salazar 202-225-4761 970-245-7107 CO 3rd District
Jim Himes (202) 225-5541 (866) 453-0028 CT 4th District
Alan Grayson (202) 225-2176 (407) 841-1757 FL 8th District
Bill Foster (202) 225-2976 630-406-1114 IL 14th District
Baron Hill 202 225 5315 812 288 3999 IN 9th District
Mark Schauer (202) 225-6276 (517) 780-9075 MI 7th District
Gary Peters (202) 225-5802 (248) 273-4227 MI 9th District
Dina Titus (202) 225-3252 702-256-DINA (3462) NV 3rd District
Carol Shea-Porter (202) 225-5456 (603) 743-4813 NH 1st District
Tim Bishop (202) 225-3826 (631) 696-6500 NY 1st District
John Hall (202) 225-5441 (845) 225-3641 x49371 NY 19th District
Bill Owens (202) 225-4611 (315) 782-3150 NY 23rd District
James Matheson Toll-Free Number 1 (877) 677-9743 (202) 225-3011Mike Arcuri (202)225-3665 (315)793-8146 NY 24th District
Dan Maffei (202) 225-3701 (315) 423-5657 NY 25th District
Earl Pomeroy (202) 225-2611 (701) 224-0355 ND At-Large District
Steven Driehaus (202) 225-2216 (513) 684-2723 OH 1st District
Mary Jo Kilroy (202) 225-2015 (614) 294-2196 OH 15th District
Zach Space (202) 225-6265 (330) 364-4300 OH 18th District
Kathy Dahlkemper (202) 225-5406 (814) 456-2038 PA 3rd District
Patrick Murphy (202) 225-4276 (215) 826-1963 PA 8th District
Christopher Carney (202) 225-3731 (570) 585-9988 PA 10th District
Paul Kanjorski (202) 225-6511 (570) 825-2200 PA 11th District
John Spratt (202) 225-5501 (803)327-1114 SC 5th District
Tom Perriello (202) 225-4711 (276) 656-2291 VA 5th District
Alan Mollohan (202) 225-4172 (304) 623-4422 WVA 1st District
Nick Rahall (202) 225-3452 (304) 252-5000 WVA 3rd District
Steve Kagen (202) 225-5665 (920) 437-1954 WI 8th District
Bart Stupak (202) 225 4735 MI (MAYBE)
Brian Baird (202) 225-3536, Vancouver, (360) 695-6292. Olympia, (360) 352-9768, (MAYBE)
senator mark begich (202) 224-3004 toll free. (877) 501 - 6275 just became a MAYBE
Jason Altmire 202-225-2565, Aliquippa, 724-378-0928,
Natrona Heights, 724-226-1304 (MAYBE)
On the Bubble (Major developments from the “yes” and “no” columns in the House)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2467046/posts
Congressional Dems on Twitter
http://www.arrghpaine.com/congressional-dems-on-twitter
And here are toll-free numbers we can use to call any Senators or Reps.
At the first number below you must wait through a tape recording urging you to tell your Rep or Senator to vote “yes” for the health care bill. Just hang on and when the recording is over, you will get the Capitol operator. Just ask for your Rep or Senator’s office. Then you will either talk to an aid or have the chance to leave a message for him/her to vote NO on the health care bill.
When you use the second number and the Capitol operator comes on, just ask for your Rep or Senator’s office. Every time I use this number I get the Rep or Senator’s answer machine, so it may be set up that way all the time...to go to their answer machine. Either way you can leave a message to vote NO on the health care bill!
We need to use these toll free numbers that have been set up for the health care/ BO supporters and illegals to use! After all they are FREE!
1-800-828-0498
1-866-220-0044
GUILTY!
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