Catholics Not Fooled Over Accounting Gimmick

Calls on Congress to Pass Real Conscience Protection

CHICAGO, Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CatholicVote.org, a leading national grassroots Catholic advocacy organization, denounced President Obama's empty "compromise" on the HHS mandate.

CatholicVote.org President Brian Burch issued the following statement:

"President Obama has introduced an accounting gimmick to appease voters over his recent Health and Human Services mandate.  The so-called compromise announced today will continue to force virtually all employers, including religious institutions, to pay into insurance policies that cover abortion drugs and other immoral medicines and procedures. 

"Separating the premiums paid to insurance companies does not change what these policies will cover.  The policies funded by religious institutions will continue to cover contraception, birth control, and abortion drugs for every employee of these organizations.  To pretend, by an accounting gimmick, that the premiums paid by the employer will not subsidize these services is simply absurd.

"All Americans should shudder at what has just transpired.  Despite repeated promises during the healthcare debate in 2009, the President of the United States has ordered all insurance companies to pay for abortion drugs.  And all religious institutions will be forced to pay into these plans.

"The Catholic Church in America has been reduced to begging for the freedom to continue to carry out its mission, effectively turning the First Amendment on its head.  The president owes every American an apology, not an accommodation.  We urge Congress to immediately introduce legislation that will protect the conscience rights of all Americans.

"Catholics don't want an accounting gimmick.  They want freedom."

Background on CatholicVote.org:

CatholicVote.org was launched in September 2008 as a new effort to educate, organize, and mobilize the Catholic vote.  The national group was responsible for one of the most watched online commercials during the 2008 presidential campaign, watched by nearly 3 million viewers on YouTube alone.  The group also received national attention for a second life-affirming viral ad depicting ultrasound images celebrating the life of President Obama.  The popular website hosts the award winning American Papist blog, along with other political commentary relevant to Catholic voters.  The organization regularly communicates with nearly 600,000 email subscribers and supporters.

SOURCE CatholicVote.org