A Call to Action

Legislative Alert….
Urgent Responses Needed!

At the Federal level: The Hyde Amendment

Another matter that should rouse us to action is the possible repeal of the “Hyde Amendment,” in effect since 1975, that prohibits the use of federal Medicaid dollars for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is endangered. It has been renewed annually, but when the President signed the “American Rescue Plan Act” on March 11, the renewal was excluded.

Please sign the petition to oppose the repeal of the Hyde Amendment by visiting https://www.notaxpayerabortion.com or https://www.votervoice.net/USCCB/home.

At the Federal level: HR-5—the Equality Act

Please urge our US Senators to OPPOSE the passage of H.R.5—the Equality Act.

• Require women to compete with men/boys in sports & share locker rooms & showers with men/boys
• Force faith-based charities…that serve all people to violate their religious beliefs, or shut down.
• Jeopardize existing prohibitions on the use of federal tax dollars for abortions, likely pressuring or even mandating health care providers to perform abortions in violation of their consciences.
• Hindering care by forcing health care professionals, against their better judgment, to support treatments & procedures associated with “gender transition.”

Proponents of the Act claim that it is intended to protect people with same-sex attractions or gender discordance from unjust discrimination. Such protection is affirmed in the Catholic Catechism, but this Act attempts to address this discrimination in a way that would impact the constitutional rights of all religious communities to practice their faith free from governmental interference. If signed into law, the Act would force the Church’s institutions and agencies to provide services that are contrary to Catholic teaching. Refusal to do so may involve harsh penalties and force them to close.

Let your voice be heard: Visit the NJCC Action Alert System: https://njcatholic.org/ and click on “Take Action Now.”

On the State level: the “Reproductive Freedom Act.” (S3030 / A4848)

Last November, our Bishop warned us of the dangers posed by the “Reproductive Freedom Act.” (S3030 / A4848). NJ Right to Life has indicated that this appalling bill is getting closer to a hearing and vote. Following is Bishop O’Connell’s statement on the issue:

The proposed NJ “Reproductive Freedom Act”…is another legislative attempt to advance and expand the state’s “abortion agenda” in service to the widespread “culture of death” by eliminating the few remaining state regulations intended to protect the life and health of pregnant mothers.

New Jersey already has some of the most permissive abortion legislation in the country. The “Reproductive Freedom Act,” if passed, would guarantee a woman’s right to an abortion anywhere in the State of New Jersey. That is the “freedom” it seeks to legislate.

Eleanor Roosevelt once wrote, “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes great responsibility.” The freedom to deliberately terminate at will and with full legal protection the life of an unborn child in the womb brings with it a responsibility, an accountability, that is difficult to imagine, let alone justify.

The State of New Jersey has already legislated its disregard for human life from conception to natural death many times, last year approving the “Death with Dignity Act” to help accelerate the end of life. The current proposed legislation, under the guise of “reproductive freedom,” shifts that disregard to the earliest, most vulnerable stages of human life in the womb.

How many such deaths has that “freedom” brought in the United States since Roe v. Wade? How many more deaths will this legislation bring about in New Jersey? With the freedom to terminate innocent human life in the womb, who bears responsibility? Whose life is next?

This bill is likely to become a rear-guard batteground, with Roe v. Wade up for possible Supreme Court action. Those who want to force this through, despite the majority who do not want such extremely permissive abortion legislation, are likely to wait until after the election to act, hoping that a lame duck session will not care about the majority preferences. Speak up to defend LIFE…please contact the Senate President and Speaker of the Assembly and urge them to not to schedule S3030 / A4848 for a hearing or vote: [email protected] and [email protected].

You should also contact your state senator (Linda R. Greenstein) and assemblymen  (Daniel R. Benson and Wayne P DeAngelo) to make your voice heard. You can find a form for contacting your representatives at https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/contact.asp. Click the complete this form link,.select your municipality (Hamilton (Mercer)), and then select the representatives you want to contact. Unfortunately, our representatives are pro-abortion; howver, the more voices they hear on the opposite side, the better our chance that they might listen. Please, speak up!