{"id":5066,"date":"2009-11-20T12:00:45","date_gmt":"2009-11-20T17:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pbs-wnet-preprod.digi-producers.pbs.org\/wnet\/religionandethics\/?p=5066"},"modified":"2013-05-29T12:02:09","modified_gmt":"2013-05-29T16:02:09","slug":"health-care-reform-catholics-and-abortion-coverage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pbs-wnet-preprod.digi-producers.pbs.org\/wnet\/religionandethics\/2009\/11\/20\/health-care-reform-catholics-and-abortion-coverage\/5066\/","title":{"rendered":"Health Care Reform: Catholics and Abortion Coverage"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the US Senate wrestles with health care reform legislation, coverage of abortion services remains a controversial issue. After strong pressure from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and several groups of religious conservatives, the House of Representatives passed the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which would bar a new government-run insurance plan from covering abortions. At this week\u2019s annual fall meeting (November 16-18), Cardinal Francis George, president of the bishops\u2019 conference, defended his church\u2019s lobbying on the issue. Meanwhile, at a November 16 news conference, Jon O\u2019Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, criticized the bishops\u2019 efforts and joined other faith leaders in launching a lobbying campaign in favor of abortion coverage. (Cardinal George footage provided by Telecare)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the US Senate wrestles with health care reform legislation, coverage of abortion services remains a controversial issue. After strong pressure from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and several groups of religious conservatives, the House of Representatives passed the … More →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":71,"featured_media":16832,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1049,6877,6878,1066,6879,5464,6898,6881],"class_list":["post-5066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-abortion","tag-cardinal-francis-george","tag-catholic-bishops","tag-catholics","tag-catholics-for-choice","tag-health-care-reform","tag-jon-obrien","tag-stupak-amendment","topics-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nHealth Care Reform: Catholics and Abortion Coverage | November 20, 2009 | Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly | PBS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Watch Cardinal Francis George, president of the US Conference of Catholic 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