By Kevin Eckstrom, Religion News Service

WASHINGTON — The nation’s Catholic bishops have threatened to pull their support for health care reform unless their concerns about abortion and access for immigrants are addressed by lawmakers.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which supports universal access to health care as a “basic human right,” had been supportive of efforts to reform the health care system, but is concerned about taxpayer-funded abortions.

Current law prohibits federal funding of abortions, and the White House has insisted abortion will not be covered in a final bill, but many conservatives worry that attempts to make that promise explicit in legislation have failed.

Catholic officials are also concerned about failed attempts to insert language that would protect the consciences of medical providers who object to procedures like abortion, birth control, or fertility treatments.

“It is essential that the legislation clearly apply … longstanding and widely supported federal restrictions on abortion funding and mandates, and protections for rights of conscience,” the bishops said in an Oct. 8 letter to Congress. “No current bill meets this test.”

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