Concerned Clergy for Choice Applauds Senate Vote on Nelson/Hatch Amendment

ALBANY, NY (12/08/2009)(readMedia)-- Concerned Clergy for Choice praised the U.S. Senate for not passing the Nelson/Hatch amendment. The Nelson/Hatch amendment, mirroring the Stupak House ban, would have restricted women's access to abortion insurance coverage.

"Anti-abortion religious groups have been working overtime to establish their restrictive faith teachings about abortion as the law of the land," said Rabbi Dennis S. Ross, director of Concerned Clergy for Choice. "But these anti-abortion religious leaders do not speak for us. Our experience as pastoral counselors demonstrates that access to reproductive medical care, including contraception and abortion care, is critical to the health of women, families and our communities. Religious leaders from many denominations are encouraged to see the Senate take an important step to ensure that national health care reform protects women and does not leave them worse off. "

Concerned Clergy for Choice will continue to call for health care reform that does not take health insurance coverage away from women and families.

Concerned Clergy for Choice is a multi-faith network of 1,000 New York State religious leaders in support of access to reproductive health care The network includes ministers from Baptist, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Reform, United Church of Christ, Unitarian Universalist and other houses of worship, as well as rabbis serving in Conservative, Reconstructionist and Reform denominations of Judaism. CCC is a project of The Education Fund of Family Planning Advocates of NYS whose network draws from all areas of New York State.