As the Senate is expected to consider a pared-down coronavirus relief package this week, the U.S. bishops’ conference is calling for immediate and substantial aid. The head of the U.S. bishops’ domestic justice committee, Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, called on Congress to pass a bill “that meets the urgent needs of the nation.”…Read More
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has signaled that a prohibition on federal funding for abortion will be excluded from spending bills next year if Democrats retain a majority in the House of Representatives, setting the state for the end of a 44-year-old bipartisan agreement on abortion funding. The Los Angeles Times reported on Friday that Speaker Pelosi…Read More
U.S. Senator James Lankford is leading a bipartisan group of Senators hoping to expand the federal tax deduction for charitable giving. The bill is called the Universal Giving Pandemic Response Act. It expands the above-the-line deduction for donations to non-profits, houses of worship, religious organizations and charities. “Nonprofits uphold Americans in our times of greatest…Read More
As Congress considers additional COVID relief efforts in the coming weeks, it should focus especially on the needs of the poor and vulnerable, said the head of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. “As Congress turns once more to considering additional relief related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus should be…Read More
More than 130 members of Congress are asking the Supreme Court to allow states to defund Planned Parenthood. In an amicus brief filed at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, 108 representatives and 29 senators argued that states should have the flexibility to determine qualified Medicaid providers. They urged the Supreme Court to hear South Carolina’s…Read More
U.S. Reps. Kendra Horn and Tom Cole will self-quarantine for two weeks because they had contact with fellow House members who tested positive for COVID-19. Horn, D-Oklahoma City, and Cole, R-Moore, said they were taking the advice of the House attending physician. Both said on Thursday they had no symptoms and felt fine. Horn had…Read More
As a former educator, I understand how important it is for our children to have access to a quality education. And when it comes to educating our young people in the United States, we are fortunate to have numerous options to ensure the best results and learning for every child. In recognizing National School Choice…Read More
The Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019, passed by the House Dec. 11 with a 260-165 bipartisan vote, aims “to make a better system for both the farmer and the farmworkers and to create a more effective and humane agriculture industry,” said the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.…Read More
Senators have introduced legislation that would require states to report abortion statistics to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control, including in all cases where babies survive botched abortions. The Ensuring Accurate and Complete Abortion Data Reporting Act of 2019 would make certain Medicaid family planning funds to states conditional upon their gathering and reporting comprehensive…Read More
At least 40 babies were born alive after botched abortions across three states since 2016, according to state health data that offers a glimpse into the extent of an issue that lawmakers have fiercely debated in recent months. The data on babies surviving abortions is compiled on a mandatory basis by only a handful of…Read More