Archives for October 2017

We hope you prayerfully consider donating to help the Seminarians, Diaconate candidates and students in the graduate program.

To learn more visit : https://www.stcharlesseminaryappeal.org

Due to Inclement Weather, The Trunk or Treat is Cancelled

I know it’s quite alarming to realize your taxdollars are currently being used to fund “sex change” surgery on children, but the State Senate just voted to change this.

 

By a 37-13 bipartisan vote, the Senate passed HB1388, which renews the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) without the unilateral change made by Governor Wolf last year to continue taxpayer funding of “gender reassignment” surgery on children. (For a roll call on the vote, click here.)

 

As I said in our press release, you should not have to pay for life changing, irreversible “sex change” surgeries on children. And an executive order by Governor Wolf last year to include coverage for these surgeries in our state’s popular CHIP program in the first place is unacceptable.

 

This bill now moves to the PA House of Representatives and I certainly encourage you to contact your State Representative now in support of HB1388 as amended. You may use our Citizen Action Center to enter a form that will automatically send an email to your State Representative.

 

Thanks for reading this, for partnering with us and I will keep you posted on any new developments with this legislation, as well as the ongoing budget talks. Stay tuned!

 

Sincerely,

Michael Geer, President

Pennsylvania Family Council

 

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Pennsylvania Family Council

23 N Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101

 

717-545-0600 | pafamily.org

Click HERE for more info!

 

The Archdiocese is announcing that it has formally put forward a “Request for Qualifications” (RFQ) from developers interested in pursuing this redevelopment opportunity, which envisions a ground lease of no more than 60 years. Any project would need to respect the integrity of the Cathedral and its rectory. If necessary, the Archdiocese would consider moving staff from the current property to another location in Center City within a 1-2 block radius of the Cathedral. It is anticipated that several developers will participate in the RFQ process and that the project will be put out to bid in early 2018.   The full news release is attached HERE.

 

Family Update | October 20, 2017 | Donate | View Online | Share:  Forward // Facebook

 

Should taxpayers cover child “gender-reassignment” surgery?

 

This week, the State Senate Banking & Insurance Committee voted 10-5 on returning to the longstanding policy of the CHIP program to exclude coverage for sex change (“gender reassignment”) surgery and services.

 

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a taxpayer funded program that was set up to help children and families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid, but who can’t afford private coverage. Last year, Governor Tom Wolf unilaterally changed the state’s policy for CHIP to additionally cover gender reassignment surgery and related services.

 

Our Senators need to understand that coverage for gender reassignment surgery is bad policy:

 

1) It’s harming children. Many respected medical professionals acknowledge that “reassignment surgery” (“sex change” operations) has not proven effective for treating mental health conditions. This is especially true in the case of younger children who typically identify with their own sex after they go through puberty.

 

At 12 years old, Patrick Mitchell was diagnosed with gender dysphoria. But two years after taking estrogen hormones and growing his hair long, Patrick, now 14, changed his mind.

 

“Don’t mess them up,” says pediatrician John Whitehall to 60 Minutes. “We have to acknowledge there are a lot of children who are confused about their gender identity. It’s a normal phase that they would go through. It’s not uncommon. The good news is statistically, they’re going to grow out of it.”

 

Even the Obama administration, in June 2016, cited inconclusive clinical evidence of the supposed health benefits of gender reassignment surgery.

 

2) It hurts taxpayers. This life-altering surgery is also expensive for taxpayers. The cost for one gender reassignment surgery can be well over $100,000. After Governor Wolf’s executive order to change the policy, the state’s estimated cost for the 2016-2017 fiscal year was $9.1 million.

 

TAKE ACTION:

HB1388 is legislation that reauthorizes CHIP for 2018-2019 and now includes this amendmentexcluding gender reassignment surgery and services. Encourage your State Senator to support HB1388 as amended. Click here to use our Citizen Action Center now to send your State Senator an email in support of HB1388 as amended.

 

Additional News Highlights

 

Misconception of “Separation of Church & State”

 

• Harrisburg City Council votes down proposal. A plan to lease a portion of Harrisburg’s City Hall to Eastern University – who would invest $600,000 into the much-needed renovations – has been rejected by City Council due to unfounded concerns about the separation of church and state. “We missed an incredible opportunity that would have been a great benefit to taxpayers of Harrisburg and the continued economic development of the city,” Mayor Eric Papenfuse said. “I see Eastern as a Christian university…As a Christian university, they have the ability to make hiring decisions based on certain criteria. I don’t think that’s the same thing as discrimination.” Read more.

 

• County appeals ruling for removal of cross in seal – Wrong to run from history, faith in God. “It’s not as if religion should be treated as poison in our society, but the judge felt that current cases forced him to rule against the seal,” says Randall Wenger. “But even current cases don’t require us to eliminate our religious history.” Read more.

 

Abortion is not Health Care

 

• Pittsburgh diocese settles suit over birth control mandate. The Pittsburgh and Erie Roman Catholic dioceses have settled lawsuits seeking to overturn an Affordable Care Act mandate that would have forced them to provide contraceptive and abortion-inducing drugs or services as part of their employee health care plans. The dioceses, along with Geneva College and more than 70 religious organizations, sued over the Department of Health and Human Services’ mandate. Read more.

 

• State Representative Rapp: “Wolf Pushes Planned Parenthood Abortion Agenda While Failing to Finalize State Budget” Thank you to Pennsylvania State Representative Kathy Rapp who recently wrote about Governor Wolf’s road trip for Planned Parenthood and the glaring need to end late-term & dismemberment abortion in Pennsylvania: “With a completed state budget nearly four months overdue and after missing the vast majority of state budget negotiations, Gov. Tom Wolf has embarked on a public relations tour to flaunt his support for Planned Parenthood, the world’s leading abortion provider. One of his recent stops included a visit to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Philadelphia, where more than 20,000 babies have been aborted since 2013.” Read more.

 

Problems with Legalized Recreational Marijuana

 

• What has it done in Colorado? One of our sister organizations – the Center for Arizona Policy – has outlined some of the problems Colorado is facing after legalizing recreational marijuana in 2013. Read more.

 

 

Tuesday, November 7th – Election Day 2017

For insight into your ballot: PaFamilyVoter.com

 

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Pennsylvania Family Institute

23 North Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101

The House of Representatives recently passed the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act and the measure has been introduced in the Senate as S.1922. On October 17, Cardinal Dolan called on the Senate to support and request a vote on this life-saving legislation which will protect pre-born children and their mothers from the horrors of late abortion. Please join the effort to urge the Senate to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (S. 1922) which reflects what a consensus of Americans believe about abortion.
 

If you have been following this effort to introduce common-sense abortion policy reform to our nation’s laws, then you know there are many reasons why this policy should be enacted. It is not only that there is scientific evidence that children feel pain at this age and that the mother’s risk of death or serious complications increases after the mid-point of pregnancy. It is also, as Cardinal Dolan noted in his letter to Congress, that the “stories of children born earlier in pregnancy, as early as 20 weeks post-fertilization, are becoming more common.” You can read the full text of that letter here.

We would like to introduce you to one little boy who proves the Cardinal’s claim. Born at exactly 22 weeks, baby Thomas survived against many odds and is now a happy, healthy and beloved toddler. Meet Thomas by watching the video below:

Many say the likelihood of this legislation passing the Senate is as low as the chances given for Thomas’ survival. The odds didn’t stop Thomas from fighting for life and they shouldn’t stop us either. Please contact your senators now. Share Thomas’ story. Encourage everyone you know to respond to this alert. Spread the word that Americans like Thomas and you and millions of decent and humane people reject late abortion.

Thanks for standing with us. Together we will be heard!
 
Amy McInerny
Executive Director

The HHS Mandate and Federal Subsidies of Abortion Coverage Premiums under the ACA

This is great news! On Friday, October 6, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) relieved the extreme burden imposed on Americans by the HHS Contraceptive Mandate by issuing two interim final rules providing broad religious and moral exemption from the requirement that health insurance coverage include sterilization, contraception, and drugs and devices that may cause abortion. These interim final rules took immediate effect and allow for a 60-day open public comment period. Please stand by for a call to submit comments to HHS in support of this policy which, in the words of Cardinal DiNardo, “bring the federal government back into the religious freedom mainstream.” (The Hill 10/7/17) We will alert you in the coming days when it is time to act and provide you the means to do so quickly and easily.

In this memo from our policy partners at the USCCB, you can read more about the status of the Mandate as well as about an administrative bulletin from the Trump Administration which was also issued last Friday. The bulletin addresses guidance on implementing the requirements in the Affordable Care Act, (ACA), regarding segregation of abortion coverage premiums in ACA health care plans.

The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

The effort to protect children from the horrors of late-term abortion moved forward on October 3, when the House passed H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, by vote of 237-189. Focus now turns to the Senate where on October 5, Sen. Linsey Graham, (R-SC) introduced the Pain-Capable bill as S. 1922. The measure has 45 co-sponsors. We are preparing educational materials and a call to action to help you contact your senators and urge them to enact this life-saving policy into law. Expect an alert early next week. 

Other Ongoing Efforts

Please also remember, mighty advocates, that our efforts to urge Congress to enact the Conscience Protection Act of 2017 continue. There is an open alert on that legislation in our Action Center. If you haven’t already reached out to your members on the need to protect pro-life health care providers, you can do so here. And, finally, we continue to raise our voices in defense of the vulnerable at the end of life as well. Please also urge Congress to say “no” to assisted suicide.

Thank you for all you do to defend life and for standing with Human Life Action. Together we will be heard!