Lawmakers Are Listening

“Every anti-choice group in the country is pulling out all the stops to derail health care reform,” Planned Parenthood announced
this week. “For example, right now, Catholics are being asked to contact their legislators, telling them to alter current health care legislation to include anti-choice amendments. The Catholic bishops have inserted letters into church bulletins, and asked priests to include their call to action in their sermons—and even in their prayers—during Sunday services.”

Planned Parenthood is not exactly wrong. Thomas Peters, for example, reported last week on the bishops’ conference request that all bishops publish an insert in every parish bulletin on healthcare reform—an insert that informs Catholics: “the U.S. bishops’ conference has concluded that all committee-approved bills are seriously deficient on the issues of abortion and conscience.”

Even more on point, look at Bishop James Conley’s op-ed this morning about the reforms on which the House is being urged to vote this weekend.

Planned Parenthood added to its announcement this line: “Groups that want to defeat health care reform, led by anti-choice extremists who are desperate to use legislation to block women’s access to care, have been lobbying Congress for months. And the worst part is that lawmakers are listening .”

It would be great if it were true—wonderful if Planned Parenthood’s worries were justified—but I’m doubtful right now. The democrats in Congress are under enormous pressure from their leadership to hold the party line.