Fleming Introduces Conscience Protection Legislation
We’re seeing our conscience rights and freedoms eroded right before our very eyes.
Washington, D.C.,
Mar 5 -
Congressman John Fleming, M.D. (LA-4) introduced the Health Care Conscience Rights Act today with Representative Diane Black and Representative Jeff Fortenberry. The legislation is designed to protect health care workers and providers of health insurance from being forced, by the Obama Administration, to perform or pay for abortion services, against their deeply held religious and moral beliefs. At a press conference announcing the legislation, Rep. Fleming made the following remarks:
“We’re seeing our conscience rights and freedoms eroded right before our very eyes. We’ve been able to hold this tsunami back for many years, until the passage of Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, and with it comes all sorts of leaks and not-so-small leaks in our conscience protection rights. So it’s important that we begin plugging these holes, and begin to create firewalls and protections for Americans against being forced and coerced, whether it’s on the job, whether it’s an employer, or whether it’s a health care worker, in complying with things that are against their conscience.”
Video of Dr. Fleming’s remarks can be found here.
The text of the Health Care Conscience Rights Act can be found here.
On February 27, 2013 Dr. Fleming and 13 of his House colleagues wrote to Speaker John Boehner requesting that the Health Care Conscience Rights Act be attached to legislation that is necessary for funding the government through the rest of the fiscal year. Dr. Fleming noted, “These vital protections were in place until President Obama and Obamacare began to dismantle them. The House needs to make every effort to reestablish them as soon as possible.” Unfortunately, despite the request, the Health Care Conscience Rights Act was not included in the funding legislation that will be on the floor this week.
Dr. John Fleming is Chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs and is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. He is a physician and small business owner and represents the 4th Congressional District of Louisiana.
