California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom (Video screenshot)
The federal government this week canceled a scheduled $200 million allocation of money to California because the leftist state is violating the Weldon Amendment, which protects individuals and groups from being forced to provide, pay for, or provide coverage for abortions.
The announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights also confirmed that it has referred the University of Vermont Medical Center to the Department of Justice for investigation, and possible prosecution, for forcing a nurse to help in an elective abortion over her conscience objections.
The HHS announcement said California has been, illegally, "mandating that all health care plans subject to regulation by the California Department of Managed Health Care cover abortion without exclusion or limitation."
The demands affected the policies of more than 28,000 individuals who had opted for insurance that did not cover elective abortions.
"California’s mandate violates a federal antidiscrimination law known as the Weldon Amendment, which protects entities from being forced to provide, pay for, or provide coverage for abortions," the HHS reported. "California has refused to come into compliance with the Weldon Amendment, despite several demands from OCR as well as offers from OCR to assist it in coming into compliance."
"Under President Trump, HHS has worked like never before to enforce laws Congress has passed to protect Americans’ religious freedom and conscience rights," said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. "California and the University of Vermont Medical Center have violated federal conscience laws and refused to work with us to take corrective action, so we are now taking action to hold them to account."
OCR chief Roger Severino said, "Entities that receive HHS funds should think twice before flouting federal law and refusing to come into compliance. As a result of our actions today, California will be losing $200 million in federal funds per quarter, and UVMMC will have to answer for its conduct in court. Whatever one thinks of the legality of abortion, no one should be punished for declining to pay for or assist in the taking of human life."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is under threat of a credible recall effort already, turned sarcastic, stating that his state will "survive" without the money for now, but he charged that the "frail, pathetic patriarchal system" under which the penalty came "won't."
Nothing like the “pro-life” party eliminating healthcare during a GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
California will survive without this $$ for now -- but their frail, pathetic patriarchal system they are so desperate to protect won’t. https://t.co/FNDbqpOhEy
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) December 17, 2020
The California case came because a Catholic order of religious sisters and a non-profit Christian church both alleged that state officials who approve over 96% of "commercial and public health plan enrollment" within California began mandating abortion coverage in 2014, without exclusion or limitation, for health plans throughout the state.
The OCR ruled earlier this year California was in violation but the state refused to change its demands.
The department determined that a $200 million disallowance of Medicaid FFP funds each quarter is the most appropriate mechanism to enforce the Weldon Amendment against California and induce compliance.
The Vermont case developed when the Burlington, Vermont, hospital ordered a nurse to help in an abortion procedure in violation of the nurse's conscience rights. The forced participation happened even though the hospital could have accommodated medical needs without it.
The DOJ referral was made after the hospital refused to change its policies.
The post Feds cancel funding to California over abortion mandate appeared first on WND.
