WASHINGTON—The general counsel of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) called on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to rescind its mandate forcing private insurance plans to cover contraception—including abortifacients—and sterilization, calling the mandate “unprecedented in federal law and more radical than any state contraceptive mandate.” The comments also criticize the narrow “religious employer” exception to the mandate, explaining that it provides “no protection at all for individuals or insurers with a moral or religious objection to contraceptives or sterilization,” instead covering only “a very small subset of religious employers.” Read more…

From the August 16 Detroit Free Press: “Michigan's seven Catholic bishops have called for federal immigration reform and support of undocumented people in statements sent to elected officials and Catholics across the state. Given the vitriol surrounding the issue of illegal immigration, the bishops took a courageous stand in support of humane and practical policies toward illegal immigrants.” Read more…

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) sharply criticized a new HHS “preventive services” mandate requiring private health plans to cover female surgical sterilization and all drugs and devices approved by the FDA as contraceptives, including drugs which can attack a developing unborn child before and after implantation in the mother’s womb. [Link no longer available —Ed.]

The U.S. government and Congress play their own version of Whac-a-Mole when it comes to immigration. The results are about the same as when people play with mallets and pop-up moles at an arcade: lots of noise, mindless excitement and no productivity. Read more…

At its summer meeting bishops of the United States approved a document to help Catholics and all people of goodwill better understand the negative public policy implications of physician-assisted suicide. This link includes several supporting materials, including prayers, fact sheets, Church teaching and select educational articles. Read more…

MCC opposed in House Commerce Committee this week immigration legislation that would, according to the Free Press editorial, “make poor social and economic policy.” Michigan Catholic Conference strongly believes that immigration matters are best left to the federal government, which would serve our nation well by enacting comprehensive immigration reform as soon as possible. [Link no longer available —Ed.]

On Monday, April 11, a letter signed by the seven diocesan bishops of Michigan was delivered to Governor Snyder, Democrat and Republican legislative leaders, as well as every member of the Legislature in an effort to urge Michigan's elected leaders to pay greater attention the needs of the poor and vulnerable population of this state. [Link no longer available —Ed.]

The Catholic Church has long taught that parents are the primary educators of their children and the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children. The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program is a federally funded program which has allowed over 3300 children from low-income families to attend private, including religious, schools in the District of Columbia since 2004. Please contact your member of the House of Representatives ASAP, so that he or she hears your voice before March 28, 2011. [Link no longer available —Ed.]

On February 24th, President Obama instructed the Justice Department not to defend sections of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in the current court cases where it is being challenged. DOMA says that for purposes of acts of Congress or regulations “the word “marriage’ means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word “spouse’ refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.” Please contact your member of Congress and let her/him know that you support the House leadership in their efforts to intervene in the lawsuits challenging DOMA, to defend the law and protect marriage. [Link no longer available —Ed.]

To honor Cardinal Maida, Conference staff has created an interactive web page that features streaming video, photographs, and a detailed timeline of significant events that the Michigan Catholic Conference board of directors experienced under His Eminence Adam Cardinal Maida. [Link no longer available —Ed.]