Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., is pushing House GOP leadership to protect nurses who do not want to participate in abortion procedures in an upcoming must-pass spending bill.
Black, the former chairwoman of the House Budget Committee who is running for governor in Tennessee, sent a letter on Thursday to House leadership asking for the Conscience Protection Act to be included in the two-year “omnibus” spending bill that will get a vote later this month. The language would codify federal protections that prevent a hospital or health facility from discriminating against a provider that has objections to participating in abortion procedures.
“The crucial need for strengthened statutory protection from abortion discrimination is clear and ongoing,” wrote Black, a former nurse.
She also pointed to a “troubling” trend of state abortion mandates in recent years. These include a 2014 California directive that requires all insurance plans under the California Department for Managed Health Care to immediately cover abortion.
“This directive means that California churches, religious charities, employers and individuals have no choice but to pay for abortion coverage in their health plans,” she added.
Black said there was no exemption from the mandate, which is a violation of federal law.
“Such discrimination is illegal under existing conscience laws,” Black wrote. “But evidently, current law is not sufficient.”
The bill would clarify and strengthen existing federal statutes and punish healthcare providers that violate them. Her request comes after the Trump administration created a new office in the Department of Health and Human Services to hear complaints from healthcare workers about discrimination from hospitals or doctors offices for refusing to help perform abortions.
Congressional appropriators are still hammering out what will be in the omnibus. House conservatives are reportedly aiming to add other abortion-related policies including defunding Planned Parenthood, which could imperil Democratic support for the package.
Federal spending is only authorized through March 23, after which new authorization is needed to keep all current operations running.
