Accidentally on purpose?
From http://www.calcatholic.com/
The Catholic Legislative Network, the political action arm of California's bishops, says Sen. Dianne Feinstein misconstrued an 'Action Alert' from the Network urging Catholics to send emails to the U.S. Senate supporting a prohibition on abortion funding in pending healthcare legislation.
"Many of you received a response from Senator Dianne Feinstein to your email supporting the Nelson amendment," said the Dec. 18 Public Policy Insights, an emailed newsletter to members of the Catholic Legislative Network. "Although the Nelson amendment failed -- and Senator Feinstein was key in that opposition -- her email misinterprets our message."
The newsletter quotes from an email from Feinstein in which the senator says, "I understand that you would like to see private insurance coverage of abortion services further restricted in healthcare reform legislation," then notes that Feinstein got the message from Catholics all wrong.
"We asked for no such thing," says the Catholic Legislative Network newsletter. "Instead, we asked to maintain the 30-plus-year prohibition of Federal funding of abortion -- known as the Hyde Amendment. We did not ask for a ban on private insurance coverage of abortion services as the Senator claims. Her claim that the 'underlying bill already does that' or that 'the Secretary of Health and Human Services will ensure one plan does not cover abortion' are insufficient because either or both of these situations are subject to political pressure and abandonment."
The Legislative Network's newsletter also takes Feinstein to task for saying in her email response to those who contacted her asking her to support the abortion-funding restrictions that the amendment "would prohibit any health insurance plan that accepts any federally-subsidized patient from providing coverage for any abortion -- no matter how necessary that procedure might be for a woman's health -- even if she pays for the coverage herself."
"Again, this is wrong," said the Catholic Legislative Network, "because women who want abortion coverage can purchase a rider if they so choose."
"It is important that our lawmakers hear AND understand our voice," concluded the Legislative Network's newsletter. "The California Catholic Conference has communicated with Senator Feinstein about her representation of our position."
Feinstein took to the Senate floor on Dec. 9 to express opposition to the Nelson Amendment, which was defeated later the same day by a vote of 54-45. "This amendment would place an unprecedented restriction on a woman's right to use her own money to purchase health care coverage that would cover abortions," said Feinstein, who concluded her remarks by saying, "This is all ideological and it really, deeply bothers me. So, I can tell you that I very much hope this amendment goes down."
