Washington, DC - Heads of Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, interfaith and First Amendment organizations today called on the Senate to ensure the final health care reform bill respects diverse religious beliefs.

“It is now up to the Senate to keep health care reform free of religious doctrine and restrictions that will prevent women from making their own reproductive health care choices,” said Reverend Dr. Carlton W. Veazey, President and CEO of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC), which convened today’s news conference. 

RCRC includes more than 40 denominations and religious organizations that respect diverse religious beliefs and individual decisions about whether and when to have children. The participating organizations together represent more than 10,000 religious leaders and millions of people of faith who believe that abortion must be safe, legal and accessible.

“We speak as people of faith who support religious freedom and reproductive options,” said Reverend Veazey. “Women must not lose access to abortion services they may need because of a small but vocal group of anti-choice activists.”

Speakers included Linda Bales Todd of the General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church; Sammie Moshenberg, Director of the Washington Office of the National Council of Jewish Women; Jon O’Brien, President of Catholics for Choice; Sandra Sorensen, Director of the Washington Office of the United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries, and Reverend Barry W. Lynn, Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Data from a public opinion poll of registered voters done by the Mellman Group for the Women Donors Network and Communications Consortium Media Center in late August was released. They showed significant support across religions for the more moderate Capps Amendment to maintain the status quo. 

“There should be no Stupak-Pitts language in the Senate or conference committee health care bills,” Reverend Veazey said. “Health care reform is about expanding access to health care for all, not rolling back women’s access to needed health services.” 

The statement from Sandra Sorensen, Director of the Washington Office of the United Church of Christ Justice and Ministires, is below:

The United Church of Christ joins many other faith groups in applauding the House version of health care reform which was passed on November 7, 2009, as a good step towards providing affordable health care for more Americans. However, we join with those same groups in expressing our disappointment that the House bowed to pressure exerted at the last minute from anti-abortion lobbyists by attaching the Stupak Amendment to the bill. This amendment would bar any of the health care plans grouped under a public option from covering abortion even when those funds are privately sourced.

The UCC has for 40 years supported the full range of reproductive health care for women, including access to abortion. And yet, once again, women’s health and well-being have been compromised away in the halls of Congress. We call upon the pro-choice leadership in the House and Senate to boldly stand up for women’s reproductive health care rights and join the majority of religious Americans who believe that decisions around the termination of a pregnancy are a private matter between a woman and her physician.

Make sure your voice is heard in this debate.