Washington D.C., Mar 6, 2009 / 02:51 am
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is “gravely concerned” about the Obama administration’s move to rescind conscience protection regulations which help pro-life health care providers.
The regulations, implemented in the final months of the George W. Bush presidency, made explicit the existing legal protections for medical workers and institutions which object to cooperating in abortions.
On Feb. 27, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced that it was reviewing a proposal to lift the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s (HHS) regulation. The review is the first step toward reversing the policy and is open to public comment in the 30 days after the announcement.
Deirdre McQuade, Assistant Director for Policy and Communications at the USCCB's Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, in a Feb. 27 statement said the conference is “gravely concerned” about the proposed change.