New Orleans Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao has said that he will not vote
for the Health Care bill because he prefers to "save his soul" rather than
support
the
bill.
Cao, the only member of the Louisiana House delegation who had not weighed in on where he stands on the health reform bill, told the Times-Picayune on Saturday that he cannot support any bill that permits public money to be spent on abortion, Catholic News Agency says.
"At the end of the day if the health care reform bill does not have strong language prohibiting the use of federal funding for abortion, then the bill is really a no-go for me," said Cao, who spent time in formation to be a Jesuit priest.
"Being a Jesuit, I very much adhere to the notion of social justice," Cao said. "I do fully understand the need of providing everyone with access to health care, but to me personally, I cannot be privy to a law that will allow the potential of destroying thousands of innocent lives," he explained to the Louisiana newspaper.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced that Cao will be one of seven Republican members of Congress targeted with radio ads that will play on radio stations with largely African-American audiences, urging him to support Obama's health reform efforts.
"I know that voting against the health care bill will probably be the death of my political career," Cao said, "but I have to live with myself, and I always reflect on the phrase of the New Testament, ‘How does it profit a man's life to gain the world but to lose his soul.'"
Cao is the first native of Vietnam to serve in Congress and the first Republican to serve in his district since 1890. He won in a district that usually votes overwhelmingly Democratic.
Earlier, USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities chair, Cardinal Rigali reiterated criteria for "genuine health care reform" set forth by Bishop William Murphy, Chairman of the bishops' Committee on Domestic Policy, in his letter to Congress on July 17.
He described health care as "a basic right belonging to all human beings, from conception to natural death" and said that "the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is working to ensure that needed health reform is not undermined by abandoning longstanding and widely supported policies against abortion funding and mandates and in favor of conscience protection."
The Cardinal enumerated several problems with the bill as introduced: It would be used to mandate abortion coverage in private health plans, expand abortion funding, override state laws that limit or regulate abortion, and endanger existing laws protecting the conscience rights of health care providers.
"Much-needed reform must not become a vehicle for promoting an ‘abortion rights' agenda or reversing longstanding current policies against federal abortion mandates and funding," he wrote. "In this sense we urge you to make this legislation ‘abortion neutral' by preserving longstanding federal policies that prevent government promotion of abortion and respect conscience rights."
"Several federal laws have long protected the conscience rights of health care providers," Cardinal Rigali added. "President Obama recently stated that he accepts these current laws and will do nothing to weaken them. Congress should make the same pledge, by ensuring that this legislation will maintain protection for conscience rights."
FULL STORY
Catholic congressman: I'd rather save my soul than vote for the health care bill (Catholic News Agency)
Cardinal Rigali Urges House Committee to Support Pro-Life Amendments to Health Care Reform Bill (USCCB)
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Ex-seminarian first Vietnamese-American in Congress