Dear CMF Friends:
In June, I let you know about the heated debate in Congress on the State Children Health Insurance (SCHIP) and the progress Christus Medicus Foundation (CMF) made in communicating the need for reform. This letter is to update you on our continued progress and my urgent appeal for your prayers and financial support. When you finish reading this update, please take a moment to visit
www.christusmedicus.com and make a generous donation.
Since the SCHIP Reform Reauthorization process began in January of this year, I have traveled to Washington DC many times to personally meet with leaders at the Catholic Association, US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and many other faith-based organizations to fight for SCHIP Reform during the Reauthorization process. For your perusal, I am enclosing the recommendations the Christus Medicus Foundation (CMF) made to pro-life/profamily, healthcare and religious leaders.
Tracking claims and counter-claims about SCHIP has been difficult because at least four different bills lend fuel to the fire: first, the House of Representatives' bill known as the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act (CHAMP Act); asecond, the Senate bill; third, the bill that was finally passed by both chambers of Congress and vetoed by the President (H.R.976, as amended and passed by the Senate); and fourth, HR 3963, Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, voted on by the House October 25.
Except for removing the family planning federal requirement in the CHAMP ACT, CMF's recommendations were rejected by the Energy and Commerce Committee. The current SCHIP language ruling that protects the unborn child was also removed. Under the leadership of Michigan Congressman John D. Dingell, the Energy and Commerce committee refused to allow discussion on coverage's in SCHIP that was dangerous to the health and welfare of our children and a threat to the family and building a "culture of life". Where was the outrage from the Catholic and the pro-life/profamily leadership?
Because of the inappropriate, un-American and partisan manner in which Congress drafted and quickly pushed through Reauthorization of SCHIP without debate, President Bush vetoed this legislation. The President and members of Congress who supported him did the right thing for the future of our children and the American family. SCHIP needs to be debated and the truth needs to be known. I am sure we agree that parents, not the government, should decide what is best for our children. See the attached October 18 CMF News Release which makes recommendations on SCHIP Reauthorization to reach a morally acceptable accord.
Thanks to Most Reverend Thomas Olmsted letter dated April 3, 2007 supporting SCHIP Reform, the support of other Bishops who signed the Christus Medicus Declaration 2007, and CMF sounding the alarm, at least the federal requirement offered by Congress for family planning was removed from SCHIP legislation.
As I write you, today, SCHIP is still in a mess. Our leading policy makers are in a quagmire. Here again I am reminded of what Christ said to his disciples when they were arguing about which one of them was most important? Jesus took a child, stood him by his side and said to them "Whoever welcomes this a child, like this welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me, also welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the greatest."
If our state and federal policymakers stopped the political infighting and began listening to Christ's message: reauthorizing the codification of the current federal ruling protecting unborn children; killing unborn children, teaching the born child to contracept; removing the parent as a caregiver and educator; and allowing parents to select a plan for their children consistent with their moral and religious convictions would not be issues. Keeping SCHIP just for children under 19 makes common sense. Why should SCHIP cover adults at the expense of poor children? Capping SCHIP at 200% to ensure employers and parents, who purchase private coverage, do not transfer their responsibilities to the government.
In order to educate our policymakers on the need for SCHIP Reform, please financially help us achieve a bipartisan SCHIP accord as stated in the attached October 18 CMF New Release "
Join together in a nationwide effort to reform SCHIP at the state level and remove abortion, sterilization, fertility procedures and contraception without parental consent".
In order to continue sounding the alarm and educating our policy makers, CMF needs to immediately raise $30,000 to cover past expenses of $15,000 and another $15,000 to continue fighting for our children through the rest of 2007. This letter is being sent to 200 of you who have given in the past. If everyone gave $150, we will have reached our goal.
Part of the funds we raise now will be used to identify ten states and leaders in these states to work together in establishing a state SCHIP Reform Committee. These committees will be similar to the MIChild Reform Committee (MRC) that we established in Michigan. The MRC program resulted in removing sterilization, fertility procedures and abortion for rape and incest. It also resulted in our Michigan policymakers passing state house bill (HB1101) "MIChild funds shall not be used to provide or promote any contraceptives to minors without parental consent.
Please help us continue our important work of researching, educating and sounding the alarm on the need for healthcare reform that protects our children and freedom to select health plans that our consistent with moral values.
As always, I appreciate your prayers and financial support.
Very truly yours in Christ,
Michael J. O'Dea
Executive Director
