Pro-Life Legislation
The USCCB advocates for policies that protect and respect human life and dignity, with special concern for those who are unborn, disabled, or terminally ill; seeks to eliminate legalized abortion; opposes legalization of assisted suicide or euthanasia; opposes domestic and foreign abortion funding and efforts to force states and health plans to fund abortion; and supports medical research that respects human life, while opposing human cloning and harmful experiments on human embryos. We encourage you to visit the web site of the USCCB department of Pro-Life Activities for more information.
Legislative Issues in the 110th Congress:
Abortifacient Drugs:
Support legislation to rescind Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for RU-486.
Abortion Funding Bans:
Maintain current appropriations riders that prevent federal support of abortion in health programs, military hospitals, District of Columbia, federal prisons, and federal employees' health plans.
Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (Hyde/Weldon Conscience Protection provision):
Support the inclusion of the provision in the annual Labor/HHS Appropriations Bill, which protects health care providers from forced involvement in abortion, and work to incorporate this policy into permanent law.
Abortion Regulations:
Support legislation ensuring informed consent for women (e.g., information about the pain an abortion may inflict on the unborn child), and safety regulations and reporting requirements for abortion clinics.
Alternatives to Abortion:
Support Representative Lincoln Davis bill, the Pregnant Women Support Act, to provide support for pregnant women whom otherwise would consider abortion, and for their children.
Child Custody Protection Act:
Support legislation to prevent transport of minors across state lines to evade parental involvement laws on abortion.
Contraceptive and Abortifacient Mandates:
Oppose legislation creating new mandates for contraceptive or abortifacient drugs (e.g., "emergency contraception"); support legislation to provide conscience protection for all who may be affected by contraceptive or abortifacient mandates.
Euthanasia/Medical Neglect:
Oppose legislation to allow euthanasia or assisted suicide or to weaken protection for the lives of handicapped newborns.
Foreign Aid:
Oppose legislation to require U.S. funding of organizations that promote abortion overseas or support coercive population programs.
Genetic Discrimination:
Monitor legislation on genetic discrimination to ensure that it protects against pressure toward abortion based on the results of prenatal genetic diagnosis.
Human Cloning:
Support legislation to ban human cloning for any purpose, and to prevent patenting of human embryos.
Roe v. Wade:
Oppose congressional resolutions or legislation to endorse the Roe v. Wade abortion decision or create a federal statutory "right to abortion."
Stem Cell Research:
Oppose legislation to expand public funding of embryonic stem cell research; support funding for morally acceptable alternatives.
Teen Pregnancy/AIDS Prevention:
Support provisions placing emphasis on abstinence education, adoption assistance, and conscience protection for grantees who object to certain prevention methods.