Letter from Cardinal O'Malley and Archbishop Lori to Congress on the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (2014)

Letter from Cardinal Sean O'Malley, Chairman, Committee on Pro-Life Activities and Archbishop William E. Lori, Chairman, Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty to Congress on the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act, November 17, 2014

Cardinal O'Malley and Archbishop Lori urge Congress to pass the "Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (ANDA)" to strengthen protections for conscience rights regarding abortion.

There is an urgent need to protect individuals and organizations from being forced to participate in or cover abortions, especially in light of recent state-level actions. The bishops cited the California Department of Managed Health Care’s recent move to mandate elective abortions in all health plans under its jurisdiction, with no religious or moral exemption, as one urgent reason for Congress to improve federal laws protecting conscience rights on abortion.

ANDA strengthens and clarifies existing laws and combines the Weldon Amendment with earlier protections (Coats-Snowe), while also adding a private right of action, allowing affected parties to go to court. Longstanding bipartisan policy holds that healthcare providers should not be forced to violate their conscience regarding abortion. Congress should act quickly to reaffirm this principle and prevent coercion in healthcare.

Abortion-Non-Discrimination-Act-O-Malley-Lori-Letter-to-Congress-11-17-2014.pdf