The following comes from a Nov. 17 posting on the College Fix.
Catholic colleges and other religious employers in California have a new ally in their fight against the state’s newly applied abortion mandate in health plans.
Peter Kirsanow, a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, an independent federal agency, wrote to Department of Managed Health Care director Shelley Rouillard to protest her decision that all abortions are “medically necessary” so must be covered in state-approved health plans.
Federal law prohibits California from forcing state residents to pay for abortions if it wants to drink from the federal spigot, Kirsanow said:
California is displaying just such contempt for religious liberty through the enforcement of the [state-level] Knox-Keene Act in defiance of the [federal] Weldon Amendment. California may be free to do so. What California may not do is take billions of dollars in federal money while flouting a federal statute that forbids it from discriminating against individuals and organizations that do not wish to pay for or facilitate abortions. …
The issue here is less what California law requires, but what federal law requires. However, it is also questionable whether the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan of 1975 actually requires health plans to cover abortion as a basic health care service, or whether that is a recent interpretative gloss on the statute. …
Abortion services are not specifically listed as “basic health services.” In fact, it appears that the word “abortion” only appears twice in the text of the entire Knox-Keene Act, and it is not in regard to requiring plans to cover abortions.
Kirsanow notes that California’s interpretation of the Weldon Amendment’s reach has changed over the years:
If California believed from 2005-2008 that the Weldon Amendment prohibited it from discriminating against people and institutions that conscientiously objected to facilitating or performing medically necessary abortions, why does it today claim that the Weldon Amendment does not prohibit it from requiring conscientious objectors to fund elective abortions?
Kirsanow wrote a similar letter to the District of Columbia, whose city council is considering an abortion mandate in health plans, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom.
Read Kirsanow’s letter to Rouillard.
To read the original College Fix posting, click here.
Wow, wow, wow. Imagine that an actual US agency acts to defend religious conscience. This outcome is great news. Of course, California is simply gone as a State with a government that has any moral values: clearly this is a case of changing every law, and procedure — as do all totalitarian governments — to achieve their policy goal.
Put a different way, why is the unrestrained push for abortion coverage in California any different, say, than the many changes in the law to permit — legally — the German government in confiscating Jewish property, throwing Jews out of colleges and jobs, and, ultimately, deporting Jews to concentration camps?
California wants two things: (1) unrestrained sexual freedom (which ties nicely into homosexual sexualist demands); and, (2) providing a spigot of cash to flow directly into the pockets of Planned Parenthood, the Devil’s own business. In many towns, thanks to the insane CA views on tobacco usage, one cannot even smoke on a public street (unless it is marijuana), but you can get an abortion pretty easily. And, now, every one must say that what you are doing is fine and you should feel good about yourself.
Kudos to Commissioner Kirsanow. Now, let’s see some real enforcement, like barring the award of grants to CA and demanding repayment of existing grants.
I agree with St. Christopher’s post. Bless Kirsanow! But America has become an abysmally selfish and immoral country, sadly abusing so-called “freedoms,” with NO RESPECT nor RESPONSIBILITY, at all, since the evil 1960’s!! There is NO SUCH THING, as so-called “FREE LOVE!” There is NO SUCH THING– as “FREE” anything at all, in this world! Everyone is responsible immediately, for each and every action they commit! And God sees everything! You cannot fool Almighty God! Sex before Marriage is a MORTAL SIN!! And a BABY, from conception— is always a BIG RESPONSIBILITY!!
The vast majority of abortions are NOT medically necessary.
57 MILLION of them since 1973 in the USA alone.
Most abortions are to meet the selfish convenience of one person, over the right to live of another who is most innocent.
If one does not want children, do NOT have a sexual relationship.
God bless U.S. Civil Rights Commissioner Kirsanow for standing up for the life of the unborn. I will pray for his success and the safety of the babies. After all if we do not stand up for the most fail, weak and innocent among us , who will be there to stand up for us when we, too, cannot help ourselves.
Just like Cardinal Burke, Kisanow will be removed from his post. Can’t have anyone who actually thinks in such a position of influence you know!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts!
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika and His Church!
Viva Cristo Rey!
Kenneth M. Fisher
Well, anyway he tried, and that is what is most important. As Mother Teresa said, “We are called to be faithful not successful,” and God will surely bless him for it.
Lets pray for the mothers who do not value life in the womb as we do, pray for mothers who do not understand life in the womb as we understand it. For that their guardian angels greatly move their hearts to choose life, since our guardian Angels reason of existence, is to be God’s messengers, guiding us to God’s holy will. We pray that all human beings be not so much blinded by the ideals of this world but to be blessed with a glimpse of what truly matters, for having faith as small as a mustard seed, that is what will change hearts and allow sinners an open door to escape their downfalls.
For this we pray A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of her children:
I humbly salute you, O you faithful, heavenly Friends of my children! I give you heartfelt thanks for all the love and goodness you show them. At some future day I shall, with thanks more worthy than I can now give, repay your care for them, and before the whole heavenly court acknowledge their indebtedness to your guidance and protection. Continue to watch over them. Provide for all their needs of body and soul. Pray, likewise, for me, for my husband, and my whole family, that we may all one day rejoice in your blessed company.
Amen
Amen, Abeca Christian, amen.