Congressman Daniel Webster has joined Congressman Andy Harris of Maryland and 98 colleagues to introduce the Conscience Protection Act, which would strengthen the rights of healthcare providers to object to medical procedures, namely abortion, that they hold serious moral or religious objections to.
“Life is our most precious gift and an unalienable right promised to every American in our Declaration of Independence. Sadly, my Democratic colleagues and the current administration are now pushing policies and abandoning bipartisan provisions that protect the right to life,” said Webster, a Republican who represents The Villages in the U.S. House of Representatives. “I have fought to defend the rights of the unborn and to protect the religious liberties of thousands of healthcare professionals opposed to abortion. I will not waver in this fight.“
Currently, enforcement of existing federal conscience statutes relies on action from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and recent moves by the Biden Administration have made clear that they have little interest in protecting employees from discrimination should they morally or religiously object to participating in certain medical procedures, Webster said.
“The Conscience Protection Act would, among other provisions, provide a private right of action for employees to defend their conscience rights in court by suing their employer if punished or terminated for registering moral or religious objections,” he added.
For the full bill text, click here.
