NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
FIRST ON FOX: One hundred GOP lawmakers are reintroducing legislation Friday to protect conscience rights, alleging that the Biden administration wasn’t doing enough on that issue.
The Conscience Protection Act to Defend Rights of Health Care Providers comes as Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Sec. Xavier Becerra has been accused by conservatives of not fulfilling his promise to protect religious liberty.
“Defending the conscience rights of healthcare providers should be of great interest to all Americans, and is of grave importance to me as a physician, especially in light of recent failures to do so by the Biden Administration,” said Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., who introduced the bill.
HHS MEMO SHOWS DEPARTMENT MOVING TO UNDO TRUMP-ERA ACTIONS AIMED AT BETTER PROTECTING RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
UNITED STATES – DECEMBER 3: Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., and members of the House Freedom Caucus conduct a news conference to call on Attorney General William Barr to release findings of an investigation into allegations of 2020 election fraud, outside the Capitol on Thursday, December 3, 2020. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“Secretary Becerra had committed to House Appropriators that he would ensure the protection of the legal rights of conscience for providers – but sadly this has not occurred. Therefore, this bill is necessary to dissuade employers from threatening or taking retaliation for actions by healthcare providers that should be, but aren’t being protected by this administration.”
Harris’ legislation contains measures designed to prevent retaliation against health care workers who don’t participate in abortions. That became an issue earlier this year when Biden’s HHS withdrew a Justice Department (DOJ) referral on a Vermont hospital allegedly forcing a nurse to participate in an abortion. He also cited the former Trump administration’s decision to withhold California…
Source : foxnews
