60,000,000+

[Silver]

Could St. Louis lose its Catholic hospitals under new federal abortion legislation?
By Tim Townsend
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
03/06/2009

A proposed bill promising major changes in the U.S. abortion landscape has Roman Catholic bishops threatening to close Catholic hospitals if the Democratic Congress and White House make it law.
bullet Blog: Will Obama's nominee for HHS be able to present herself for Holy Communion?
bullet Forum: Catholic hospitals have far more to lose by closing than they do by simple civil disobedience


The Freedom of Choice Act failed to get out of subcommittee in 2004, but its sponsor is poised to refile it now that former Senate co-sponsor Barack Obama occupies the Oval Office.

A spokesman for Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said the legislation "is among the congressman's priorities. We expect to reintroduce it sooner rather than later."

FOCA, as the bill is known, would make federal law out of the abortion protections established in 1973 by the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade ruling.


The legislation has some Roman Catholic bishops threatening to shutter the country's 624 Catholic hospitals — including 11 in the Archdiocese of St. Louis — rather than comply.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/religion/story/E6E47067257DB95E862575710014DD57?OpenDocument

Its gonna be interesting watching the Dims piss off 60 million voters:slap:

[DannyR]

Seems to me Catholic bishops are being rather dishonest by threatening to close Catholic hospitals. Are then owned by the Church, or are they government owned? Because it seems to me if they are Church owned the law doesn't apply to them:


SEC. 4. INTERFERENCE WITH REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PROHIBITED.

(a) STATEMENT OF POLICY- It is the policy of the United States that every woman has the fundamental right to choose to bear a child, to terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability, or to terminate a pregnancy after fetal viability when necessary to protect the life or health of the woman.

(b) PROHIBITION OF INTERFERENCE- A government may not--

(1) deny or interfere with a woman's right to choose--

(A) to bear a child;

(B) to terminate a pregnancy prior to viability; or

(C) to terminate a pregnancy after viability where termination is necessary to protect the life or health of the woman; or

(2) discriminate against the exercise of the rights set forth in paragraph (1) in the regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information.

(c) CIVIL ACTION- An individual aggrieved by a violation of this section may obtain appropriate relief (including relief against a government) in a civil action.

[Kathianne]

Seems to me Catholic bishops are being rather dishonest by threatening to close Catholic hospitals. Are then owned by the Church, or are they government owned? Because it seems to me if they are Church owned the law doesn't apply to them:

Owned and operated by Church. Because they take medicare/medicaid patients, they fall under the law. My guess is they would close, some might be taken over by others, but not those that run in the deep red, in poor, urban areas.

[Kathianne]

Best number I could find, there's over 600 Catholic affiliated hospitals, nearly 6000 clinics. The overwhelming majority of these would be in urban areas.

[Kathianne]

Could St. Louis lose its Catholic hospitals under new federal abortion legislation?
By Tim Townsend
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
03/06/2009

A proposed bill promising major changes in the U.S. abortion landscape has Roman Catholic bishops threatening to close Catholic hospitals if the Democratic Congress and White House make it law.
bullet Blog: Will Obama's nominee for HHS be able to present herself for Holy Communion?
bullet Forum: Catholic hospitals have far more to lose by closing than they do by simple civil disobedience
....

Its gonna be interesting watching the Dims piss off 60 million voters:slap:

Catholics don't vote as a bloc. Many wouldn't have a problem with abortion in or out of Catholic hospitals. The brunt of the impacted would be non-Catholic, urban dwelling, and poor. Do they want abortions? I'm sure some do and find alternative hospitals.

This is trying to force doctors to perform that are affiliated with hospitals that choose not to. I'm certain they will delay by 'civil disobedience', but I'm also certain that groups like NARAL will sue. Then a decision will have to be made by the bishops.