Tag Archives: Members of Congress
Pelosi Corrected By Bishop…. AGAIN!
This one almost slipped by unnoticed, but thanks to a friend I came across this recent public chastisment of Nancy Pelosi by Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco after comments she made last month about her disagreements with Church teaching. Ms. Pelsoi, as only Ms. Pelosi can do, managed once again to completely misrepresent the faith she claims she so avidly follows.
Anyway, the news here is not Pelosi’s heretical ramblings. Those have been well documented before. The news here is that another bishop has risen to publically correct those ramblings – to make sure that the liberals no longer go unchecked when they pretend to evenagelize in the media.
The St. Michael Society is happy to report on the courage and leadership that is being shown by many of our American bishops since the Obama-Notre Dame scandal. This time, Archbishop Niederauer gets the props. If you have a moment, send him your thanks, support and prayers. (you can contact him at info@sfarchdiocese.org)
Here is his open letter to Nancy Pelosi on the real meaning of conscience, free will, and what it means to be a Catholic.
Lessons from the Lectionary
I am not for a moment about to suggest that this is the way God intended us to interpret this, but for those who happened to attend daily Mass on the Friday before the MA special election and the anniversary of Obama’s inauguration, you were treated to this story about how the people complained against Samuel and demanded that they be given a king to rule over them as other nations have.
God, through Samuel, warned the people that if this were to happen, the king would quickly use his authority to tax them, take their property, oppress them with labor, and make their lives generally miserable, and that eventually they would complain to God to remove the king, and God would not listen to their complaints.
But, the people would not listen and insisted that they be given a king. And so, God told Samuel to give them exactly what they want. And wouldn’t you know – eventually they complained to God about the king. Funny how that happens.
And it is also funny how history just keeps repeating itself even into our day – when even in our free republic we get caught up in the moment and cry out for a king of sorts; someone to rule over us in a way where we don’t have to worry about anything. He will provide everything for us. And before we know it we get exactly what we wished for only to regret that moment of weakness.
If you ask me, that reading just happened to be in the right place at the right time for Americans to reflect on the choices we make through our voting, and the discernment we should take when deciding.
In fact, that whole series of readings was interesting given the events of the world. On Wednesday, January 20 – the anniversary of Obama’s inauguration – daily Mass-goers woke up to the news that MA had elected a republican senator, and were then treated to the story of David and Goliath for the first reading.
Just sayin’….
Bella’s Eduardo Versteragui Endorses Catholic Candidate for Illinois Governor
If you know anything about Catholic rock stars, chances are you have heard of Eduardo Versteragui. He’s the Mexican actor whose compassion, love and generosity for a mother and her unborn child stole our hearts in the award-winning 2006 film “Bella.”
Versteragui has an inspiring personal history, having transformed his life and mission as an actor after coming to Hollywood and converting to the faith. Since his conversion, he has been extremely proactive in helping spread the pro-life message in entertainment media and the political arena. 
His latest endorsement is to campaign on behalf of Adam Andrzejewski, a pro-life Roman Catholic running for Illinois state Governor.
Versteragui has issued a short video explaining why he is supporting Andrzejewski and the importance of electing a Governor who adheres to our Catholic values. As a politician who is “proudly pro-life,” Veesteragui enthusiastically shares that ”his position on the pro-life issue is as powerful as it is refreshing.” The video concludes in text, reminding viewers that Illinois is where President Obama began his political career and where he voted against the “Infant’s Born Alive Act.”
Well worth the two minute watch on YouTube:
Andrzejewski’s primary race is this Tuesday, February 2st and he is gaining momentum among five candidates, all of whom are separated by just eight points in the polls. His wife Kerry and their three daughters are parishioners of St. Isaac Jogues Catholic Church in Hinsdale, IL.
Support his campaign and visit http://www.adamforillinois.com/
Sen. Casey Called Out at Press Conference: “You betrayed the pro-life movement”
Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), a Catholic, got Joe Wilson’d yesterday at a press conference when a few brave pro-lifers called him out for voting to fund abortion in the healthcare bills.
“You betrayed the pro-life movement”
“You are a pro-life hypocrite”
“You continually vote against life”
…were just some of the accusations against the self-proclaimed pro-life Democrat.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has the story but it’s nothing compared to watching the video. One of the pro-lifers invokes Mother Teresa’s famous words that the “unborn are the poorest of the poor.”
David Brody at CBN relayed the story from The Hill:
Other protesters outside lambasted the senator for “selling out” both his pro-life constituents and their Catholic faith, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“He votes the pro-abortion agenda,” one protester, who was not removed from the event, told the newspaper. “He’s a disgrace to his church.”
Currently both the Senate and the House healthcare bills have to be reconciled into one big bill to be voted on by both houses. The House bill contains the Stupak amendment, which prohibits the government from funding abortion, while the Senate version, the one Casey voted “YES” on, allows government funding of abortion. The National Right to Life Committee has more detailed information on the Senate abortion funding provisions in their latest letter here.
Do you live in Pennsylvania and want to tell Senator Casey what you think of his vote to allow the government, and your taxes, to fund abortion? Call him at (202) 224-6324.
Catholic Bishops Again Slam Healthcare
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) have a new insert for bulletins that urges Catholics to contact Congress now about healthcare reform legislation.
As long-time advocates of health care reform, the U.S. Catholic bishops continue to make the moral case that genuine health care reform must protect the life, dignity, consciences and health of all, especially the poor and vulnerable. Health care reform should not advance a pro-abortion agenda in our country.
It’s very heartening to see the Bishops take such a powerful stance against the healthcare reform legislation and government funding of abortion. This bill, if passed, will be the largest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade. The Bishops know it and want all Catholics in this country to know it.
MESSAGE—HOUSE:
“I am pleased that the House health care bill maintains the longstanding policy against federal funding of abortion. I urge you to work to uphold essential provisions against abortion funding, to include full conscience protection and to assure that health care is accessible and affordable for all. Until and unless these criteria are met, I urge you to oppose the final bill.”
MESSAGE—SENATE:
“I am deeply disappointed that the Senate health care bill fails to maintain the longstanding policy against federal funding of abortion and does not include adequate protection for conscience. I urge you to support essential provisions against abortion funding, similar to those in the House bill. Include full conscience protection and assure that health care is accessible and affordable for all. Until and unless these criteria are met, I urge you to oppose the final bill.”
WHEN: Votes in the House and Senate on the final bill are expected in January. Act today! Thank You!
Here's the full bulletin insert: http://www.usccb.org/healthcare/UPDATED-bulletin-insert.pdf
Cohabitation Is Not Healthcare
Health Care Bill Discriminates Against Marriage
As each day goes by, more of what is contained in the healthcare legislation is exposed. House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio reveals in a news conference that the House bill contains a severe “marriage penalty” for middle class couples. Under the bill, couples living together would spend less on health insurance than married couples. Here are the relevant facts as reported by the Catholic News Agency:
…under the House bill an unmarried couple with an income of $25,000 each would have a premium cap of $3,076, but if they marry their $50,000 combined income would make their annual premium cap jump to $5,160.
Now for members of secular society, concerns about cohabitation might be an outdated or silly notion, but for Catholics this is a real concern. The Church teaches that living together and sexual union before marriage is inherently sinful and trivializes the sacredness of the marital sacrament (Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 2350-2400) Catholics should not be financially penalized for staying true to our faith, and we don’t need additional financial pressure to be added to the many other cultural pressures that encourage young people today to cohabitate.
Many readers of Saint Michael Society will be contacting their elected officials concerning the abortion funding. Please include this item in your talking points. Healthcare should reinforce marriage not encourage cohabitation.
Pro Life Hero Defies Party and Vows to Continue Fight
The New York Times today has a fascinating profile of Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan. Most readers of St. Michael Society are aware that Rep. Stupak is a pro-life hero, especially during the healthcare debate. His principled stand in the House of Representatives resulted in the passage of a truly pro-life amendment, which is attached to the House healthcare bill. The profile details the many attacks, some personal, hurled at Rep. Stupak.
Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you. – Matthew 5:11-12
Now the House and Senate will attempt to reconcile the two bills passed in each chamber. Rep. Stupak claims he has 10 or 11 other pro-life Democrats willing to stand with him to ensure that if any legislation passes it will be pro-life. Look for the attacks and pressure to escalate from pro-abortion forces. Leadership will attempt to pry away votes with bribes, threats and attacks. Projects and funding will be dangled in front of their noses. Others will be threatened with removal of key committee assignments.
For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul? – Matthew 16:26
But for the special few, among them Rep. Stupak, the personal attacks will come. Let’s pray for them. Pray that they remain strong and courageous in this fight.
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
Pro-Life Leaders Take to the Opinion Pages
Two opinion pieces published today hit the nail on the head when it comes to abortion and healthcare.
Four powerhouse pro-life leaders, Dr. Charmaine Yoest (AUL), Marjorie Dannenfelser (SBA List), Kristan Hawkins (Students for Life) and David Bereit (40 Days for Life), call out Planned Parenthood and the rest of the abortion industry in today’s Washington Times for actively trying to mislead the public on the merits of the Stupak Amendment:
Earlier this month, New York Democratic Rep. Nita Lowey claimed that the Stupak-Pitts Amendment “puts new restrictions on women’s access to abortion coverage in the private health insurance market even when they would pay premiums with their own money.” Just days later, PolitiFact.com issued an analysis and said her comments were “false.”
Planned Parenthood’s cover has been blown. Before the vote on Stupak-Pitts, there were no uproars from the abortion lobby about government funding of abortion in the health care bill. There were no send-your-legislator-a-hanger campaigns. Why? Because they were hoping this issue would slip under the radar and that the bill would pass without any specific exclusion of abortion, which would ensure that abortion would certainly be funded by the government.
Read the whole thing here: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jan/06/abortion-funding-fiight-far-from-over/.
And Kristan Hawkins has her own piece at CNSNews.com today as well talking about the Mikulski amendment that passed in the Senate that would provide government funding for “preventative healthcare.” Kristan makes the case that preventative healthcare would include abortion – and she has the knowledge to back it up.
As a mother of a son with cystic fibrosis, a genetic life-threatening disease, and pregnant with another son, who has a 25 percent chance of having the disease, I know the first “preventative” abortions will be performed on children diagnosed prenatally with incurable, expensive-to-treat genetic diseases.Already, over 90 percent of babies prenatally diagnosed with Downs Syndrome are aborted. That’s certainly a “preventative” service.
Kristan has become quite an expert on rationing of care in the healthcare bills and runs the website www.HealthcareForGunner.com to raise awareness.
See the full opinion piece here: http://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/article/59320
Dems NOT Going to Conference on Healthcare Bill – What Does This Mean?
In this oh-so-transparent Obama Administration, the Democrats in Congress have decided to (most likely) forgo a formal conference to merge the Senate and House healthcare bills. Instead they doing something called a “ping pong” conference. Sounds fun, right? Well, for the Democrats who really, really, really want to get a healthcare bill passed, it’s certainly better than doing a formal merging of the bills because that would involve lots of procedural hurdles in the Senate and give Republicans more ways than one to hold up the horrific bill.
In a ping pong scenario, leaders from each chamber will go back and forth with the bills until they come to a final bill that they are happy with. It’s very much a backroom deal process with little or no input from the Republicans. Talking Points Memo has more on the logistics here.
However, someone is going to have to deal with Rep. Bart Stupak and the abortion issue. The Senate version of the bill doesn’t have the Stupak language and therefore funds abortion with government money. Stupak has made it clear that he plans to hold the line in House and not allow a bill through without his amendment, which prohibits government funding of abortion.
Quite a few well-known pundits are weighing in including Ed Morrissey at HotAir, Melissa Clouthier and Philip Klein, and can give you more on what they think will happen.
In the end, this ping pong game will have to end with some final bill that will be voted on in both the House and the Senate. The Democrats are willing to do anything to give President Obama a bill, any bill, and at any price.
It’s not too late though. We’ve heard from many sources that people can’t get through on the phones or by email to their Representatives and Senators so the Stop the Abortion Mandate coalition is urging people to visit their Members’ district offices this week while Congress is at home. Download the holiday recess kit here: http://bit.ly/850wLU.
