The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has an outstanding record of 10 years of assisting human rights, sex traffic victims and other women/children in need. They have received funding from the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) going back to 2006. These funds have helped tremendously with the housing, medical care, and mental health care that they offer the victims.
Kathleen Sebelius heads the U.S. Health and Human Services Department under the direction of President Obama.
Just recently we learned that the Obama Administration was choosing to not continue this grant to the USCCB. Why? Because the USCCB does not perform or refer for abortion as part of their program.
The USCCB has successfully partnered with around 150 groups to help fight for victims while preserving their religious beliefs of no abortions and contraceptives. This clear strike is a threat to religious freedom and hurts countless victims as they will be without a great resource (as estimated 2,700 victims have received assistance so far) that they have relied on in the past.
When anti-life ideology trumps quality services, we know something is wrong. The USCCB received a stellar 89 rating in their assessment by the federal government but that was not enough as groups with ratings of 69 and 74 were funded while they received nothing because of their pro-life belifs.
On December 1st a full committee hearing was held “to investigate claims of gross politization of a grant that stripped funding from a group effectively serving victims”. This is not the first or the last of the Obama Administrations attacks on pro-life and victims. This is truly a battle that rages on to protect not only the victims but those who serve to protect them.
