Sample Letter on a Current Issue
Support Health Care Providers' Conscience Protections
Oppose President Obama's Plan to Rescind the Health Care Providers' Conscience Rule
Support the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (ANDA) (S.96)
Oppose the Protecting Patients and Health Care Act of 2009 (H.R. 570)
Letter to the President 5
(based on a letter by Cardinal Francis George to President Obama January 16, 2009)

Even after April 9, 2009, it's still not to late to make a difference on this issue.

Using the below letter or the other sample letters on this issue and the other resources related to it, please put a letter in your own words (or use a sample letter as is), and mail it to your federal House representative and your two federal senators as well as President Obama. It's much better to send a form letter than not to send a letter at all. And, let's flood the White House comments line on this issue.

Also, be sure to send your comments to the Department of Health and Human Services. Again, even after April 9, 2009, it's still not to late to make a difference on this issue.

Note: HHS will make available for public viewing all comments and the personal information (e.g., name and address) included in them.

Source: http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2009/09-018.shtml (The below letter has been edited.)

Jane Doe
12345 Main St
Minneapolis MN 55418-3209

Date

President Barack Obama
The President of the United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

Subject: Please...
1) Do Not Rescind the Health Care Providers' Conscience Rule
2) Support the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act, ANDA (S. 96)
3) Oppose the Protecting Patients and Health Care Act (H.R. 570)

During the campaign, you promised as President to represent all of the people and to respect everyone's moral and religious viewpoints. You also made several statements about abortion. On one occasion, when asked at what point a baby has human rights, you answered, in effect, that you do not have a definite answer. And you spoke often about a need to reduce abortions.

The Catholic Church teaches that each human being, at every moment of biological development from conception to natural death, has an inherent and fundamental right to life. We are committed not only to reducing abortion but also to making it unthinkable as an answer to unintended pregnancy. At the same time, I think that your remarks provide a basis for common ground. Uncertainty as to when human rights begin provides no basis for compelling others to violate their conviction that these rights exist from the beginning. After all, those people may be right. And if the goal is to reduce abortions, that will not be achieved by involving the government in expanding and promoting abortions.

The HHS rule to protect conscience rights in health care is the subject of false and misleading criticisms. It does not reach out to expand the rights of pro-life health professionals, but it is a long-overdue measure for implementing three statutes enacted by Congress over the last 35 years. Many criticizing the new rule have done so without being aware of this legal foundation, but widespread ignorance of longstanding federal laws protecting basic civil rights is among the good reasons for more visibly applying the rule. An administration committed to faithfully implementing and enforcing the laws of the United States will want to retain this common-sense regulation, which explicitly protects the right of health professionals who favor or oppose abortion to serve the basic health needs of their communities. Suggestions that government involvement in health care will be aimed at denying conscience or excluding Catholic and other health care providers from participation in serving the public good threaten much-needed health care reform at the outset.

For all of the above reasons, please also join me in opposing the Protecting Patients and Health Care Act (H.R. 570), which would eliminate the HHS rule, and in supporting the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act, ANDA (S. 96), which would prohibit certain abortion-related discrimination in governmental activities.

Thank you for your consideration of my position on this important issue.

I would appreciate a response to my letter.

Sincerely,

[Signature]
Jane Doe

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