By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
In retaliation for their successful involvement in lobbying for the passage of an amendment prohibiting the use of federal monies for abortion in health care reform, a pro-abortion lawmaker is calling for an investigation of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to determine if they violated the terms of their tax exempt status.
According to a report by CNSNews.com, Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) wrote an op-ed on Nov. 9 for the Politico website about the bishops involvement in lobbying lawmakers to demand a vote on an amendment proposed by Rep. Bart Stupak which would ban abortion coverage from health care reform. The measure passed on Saturday night by a wide margin.
In her op-ed, Rep. Woolsey said she expected “political hardball” on legislation as important as health care reform, but she didn’t expect it from the USCCB.
“Who elected them to Congress?” she asks. “The role the bishops played in pushing the Stupak amendment, which unfairly restricts access for low-income women to insurance coverage for abortions, was more than mere advocacy. They seemed to dictate the finer points of the amendment, and managed to bully members of Congress to vote for added restrictions on a perfectly legal surgical procedure.
“And this political effort was subsidized by taxpayers, since the Council enjoys tax-exempt status.”
Woolsey goes on to say that even though the Internal Revenus Service is less restrictive about church involvement in efforts to influence legislation than it is about involvement in campaigns and elections, “Given the political behavior of USCCB in this case, maybe it shouldn’t be,” the Congresswoman recommends.
Her loosely veiled threat brought instant condemnation from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, who called the Congresswoman’s threats “harassment.”
“I think they [the USCCB] were perfectly within their rights,” Catholic League spokeswoman Susan Fani told CNSNews. “However, I can see that there would be harassment in the form of having an unjustified IRS investigation, so yes that concerns us.”
Ms. Fani said the Bishops did nothing wrong and would continue to press Congress to prevent abortion funding from becoming a part of health care reform.
“Did the bishops do anything wrong? They clearly did not, and for [Rep.] Woolsey to insinuate otherwise is just absurd. This is just plain old intimidation and harassment and an attempt to chill free speech.”
The USCCB is one of many pro-life groups that are voicing opposition to any health care reform bills that allow federal funding of abortion – and they are determined to keep fighting.
In a Nov. 7 statement, Cardinal Francis George, president of the USCCB promised that the Conference “will remain vigilant and involved throughout this entire process to assure that these essential provisions are maintained and included in the final legislation.”
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