In the Oct. 22 issue of The Catholic Messenger, I was glad to see that the writer of Persons, Places and Things acknowledged that, after receiving an e-mail from Tom Chapman of the Iowa Catholic Conference, she is going to extend and supplement her prayers to include a pro-life petition and e-mail her U.S. representative and senators asking for legislation that recognizes healthcare for the unborn and dying.
I have been on Tom Chapman’s e-mail list for months and I also go into the USCCB Web site. My mailbox daily has letters from the pro-life movement on the health care agenda and pro-abortion funding.
In the very last vote taken by the Senate Finance Committee on a pro-life amendment to health care reform, three Catholic senators voted it down. It lost by a vote of 13-10.
After 183 pro-life members of Congress recently sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi asking her to simply allow a vote on an amendment to close abortion funding loopholes in the health care bill, she is going to railroad her pro-abortion health care bill through the House without giving any pro-life amendment a chance to be heard and voted on.
Sixty-seven percent of the American people do not want government funding of abortion.
You can now see why it is more important than ever that our Catholic and non-Catholic representatives and senators in Congress hear our voice on this gravely important issue.
My own House Representative, Leonard Boswell, has a 0 percent voting record on pro-life issues as does Senator Tom Harkin. Check your representative’s voting record on pro-life matters and you will see just where they stand. Let your voice be heard. Health care will come at some point, but let’s make sure that it is not at the expense of the unborn.
Gloria Welp
Newton
