The Catholic bishop of Sacramento, California did not mince words when he responded to the recent California State Budget, which reveals that the California Department of Health Care Services will be allocating a 40% higher rate for abortionists. Meanwhile, all other hospitals and providers continue to suffer from a 10% cut in their rates thanks to Medi-Cal budget cuts. The bishop, the Most Rev. Jaime Soto, is concerned for the women and families who will suffer from what he describes as distorted priority in the budget.
Bishop Soto. Picture from Cal Catholic.
Despite the fact that millions of Californians are pro-life on abortion, Rev. Soto says, “buried deeply in the State Budget and in the Medi-Cal Estimates provided by the Department of Health Care Services [DHCS], is the fact that at a time when all health care provider rates remain slashed by 10% and women and families are struggling to find doctors, nurses, and hospitals willing and able to provide essential medical care, abortion providers like Planned Parenthood and others are poised to receive a 40% increase in the fees they receive for performing abortions.”
Dismayed by the move, Bishop Soto called the situation “insanely distorted healthcare,” pointing out that millions of California women and families are currently unable to access basic medical care due to the budget cuts. He said that the legislators who approved the abortion-heavy budget are pushing their own preference for abortion onto women, who will now have much more ease of access to abortion — which they may not want — than to essential medical care.
The bishop concluded with a plea that concerned Californians call on the governor, Jerry Brown, and the DHCS to “undo this wrong,” insisting, “Women deserve better. Children are not a threat to California. We believe abortion is bad health care for women and families.” The California Catholic Conference has issued the following Action Alert, urging all Californians to take a stand against the budget’s abortion funding.
