By a vote of 245 to 182 the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Conscience Protection Act, a bill designed to prevent government discrimination against and prevent the suppression of the freedom of conscience and religion of individuals or groups unwilling to provide or facilitate abortion for reasons of conscience or religion. The bill adds a right of action by victims, the lack of which has prevented victims from defending their freedom in court. President Barack Obama is expected to veto the legislation. [CNS News]
Submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Freedom of Conscience in Abortion Provision (United Kingdom)
. . . Abortion has developed technologically and now includes medical and surgical methods, but, generally speaking, remains the deliberate killing of a developing human individual at some point between implantation in the uterus and birth, either directly or by premature delivery intended to cause death. The moral arguments against abortion have been refined and somewhat expanded since 1967, but their focus is substantially unchanged. . .
Project Submission
Forum on Conscience Protections
United States Congress Energy and Commerce Committee
Friday, July 8, 2016 – 9:00am
Location: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building
PARTICIPANTS
Marie-Alberte Boursiquot – M.D., F.A.C.P., President-elect of the Catholic Medical Association
Prepared remarks
William J. “Bill” Cox – President of the Alliance of Catholic Health Care
Prepared remarks
Cathy DeCarlo – Nurse, New York
Prepared remarks
Richard Doerflinger – Former Associate Director of the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Prepared remarks
Pastor Jim Garlow – Skyline Church, La Mesa, California
Prepared remarks
Donna J. Harrison, M.D. – Executive Director of the American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Prepared remarks
Pastor Chris Lewis – Foothill Church, Glendora, California
Prepared remarks
Casey Mattox – Senior Counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom
Prepared remarks
Fe Vinoya – Nurse, New Jersey
Prepared remarks
Dr. Dave Weldon – former Member of Congress and author of the Weldon Amendment, which was written to provide protections for entities that do not participate in abortion
Prepared remarks
MUHC’s assisted death policy repealed: Barrette
Montreal Gazette
QUEBEC — The McGill University Health Centre has repealed its policy exempting the palliative care unit from offering medical aid to die, said Health Minister Gaétan Barrette on Wednesday.
“This morning, I met with Mr. (Normand) Rinfret and he told me that as of this very moment, the policy has been repealed,” Barrette said, referring to the MUHC’s executive director. “As we speak today, no patient can be transferred out of the palliative care unit at the MUHC, and medical aid in dying will be made available in the unit itself.” . . . [Full text]
Barrette chastises MUHC over policy not to provide medically assisted death
Montreal Gazette
QUEBEC — The McGill University Health Centre is being forced to backtrack on a policy that exempts its palliative care unit from helping patients die.
Health Minister Gaétan Barrette issued a strongly worded letter to the MUHC’s director general Wednesday, urging him to change the policy, which he says does not respect the law.
“To say that medical aid to die will not be offered in a particular unit … poses a serious problem when it comes to respecting patients’ lawful right to receive end-of-life care,” the minister wrote. . . [Full text]