Posted on 11/11/2011 8:05:54 PM PST by Steelfish
Abortion, Birth Control Access At Issue In Dispute Over Denial Of Grant To Catholic Group
By Jerry Markon November 11
Republican lawmakers are objecting to the Department of Health and Human Services’ decision to deny an anti-human-trafficking grant to a Catholic group , a dispute that reflects deep divisions over access to abortion and birth control.
In late September, HHS ended funding to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to help victims of trafficking, or modern-day slavery. The church group had overseen nationwide services to victims since 2006 but was denied a new grant in favor of three other groups.
The bishops organization, in keeping with the church’s teachings, had refused to refer trafficking victims for contraceptives or abortion. HHS officials have said they made a policy decision to award the grants to agencies that would refer women for those services.
In recent letters to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, more than 30 Republican lawmakers said the decision was unfair to the Catholic group and might violate federal laws banning discrimination based on religion. Two of the letters are seeking internal HHS documents relating to the decision and one, sent Monday by Rep. Darrell Issa (Calif.), said his investigative committee may issue subpoenas if HHS doesn’t comply.
“We’re talking about a Catholic group with a superior track record that was pushed aside to promote the abortion agenda,” said Rep. Christopher H. Smith (N.J.), who wrote the 2000 law that triggered the U.S.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Odd. My copy of the Constitution makes no mention of handing out tax payer dollars to a HHS or charities run by the Catholic Church.
DHHS can provide funds to faith-based organizations on a non-discriminatory basis. The US Supreme Court has held that the constitution does not forbid such disbursements.
The Supreme Court has also indicated that abortion is legal. Both are bad ideas but how convenient to overlook when there’s govt bennies to be had.
Of course. Some decisions are correct and some aren’t. There is nothing in the text of the constitution to forbid the possession of child pornography either. But SC decisions saying the 1st A does not extend to obscenity and child pornography are correct based on on history and original intent. Simply because one decision is bad doesn’t mean that others are incorrect. To so conclude would be a non sequitur.
If the Catholic Church was half-smart they’d tell Catholics that the government is at war with them. Here in NJ it has almost completed its destruction of our school system by forcing Catholics to fund the atheistic public schools before paying for a Catholic education.
Since Dems carry the “Catholic” states, I’d imagine it has become clear that America’s “Catholics” have simply sided with the secular enemy.
It never ceases to amaze me that any American Catholics continue to support the Democratic Party—aptly named the ‘Party of Death’.
Taking taxpayer dollars and giving them away to the charity of the month IS a bad idea on par with “discovering” that abortion is a constitutionally protected action. You obviously don’t agree for the same reason bank robbers don’t like armed guards at the banks - it gets in the way of obtaining the loot.
I’ve heard many Catholic Dems cite their reason for being dem is that they are DOVEs not HAWKS when it come to war like the Repubs. they also cite social justice and TOTALLY don’t get that that is a communist concept.
“It never ceases to amaze me that any American Catholics continue to support the Democratic Party—aptly named the ‘Party of Death’.”
It is because they have weak leadership on the national level, and they believe we are automatically saved because Jesus died on the cross.
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