Shortly before leaving town for their Thanksgiving break, members of Congress slipped into a spending bill a provision that supporters say limits “discrimination” against anti-abortion hospitals but that opponents say will circumvent state laws intended to guarantee access to abortion services.
The provision – which had gained the House’s explicit approval but never the full Senate’s – was put in by House-Senate negotiators into a massive “omnibus” appropriations package and approved by both chambers of Congress Nov. 20.
The so-called “Abortion Non-Discrimination Act” was added to the bill at the behest of its sponsors, Reps. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., and Henry Hyde, R-Ill. Both of the Congressmen are strong opponents of abortion.
It will effectively ban states from “discriminating” against healthcare entities – including doctors, hospitals and insurers- that refuse to provide women with abortion services or referrals.
Federal law already explicitly protects medical students who refuse to go through abortion training.
The bill’s proponents said it also already protects other health-care entities from performing abortions but had been misinterpreted as applying only to individuals.
“Without this provision, pro-life hospitals could be enforced to participate in the unconscionable killing of innocent human life,” said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, in a statement on the bill’s passage. “Protecting the choice to not perform abortions is a huge win for right-to-life supporters and the pro-life medical community.”
But opponents of the provision said it had the potential to limit access to abortion services for millions of women- particularly those in the 20-plus states that use state money to provide abortion services to Medicaid recipients. Many health-care providers rely on Medicaid funds to provide a full range of services to patients.
(ABP)
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