CV NEWS FEED // CatholicVote’s “Biden Report” covers the president’s and his administration’s actions regarding the policies that matter most to Catholics and their allies. Updated on a weekly basis, the record is sponsored by CatholicVote’s Catholic Accountability Project.
This summary walks you through the January and February 2023 Biden Report highlights.
Read the Full Report (with Links) Here
>> The Biden Report: A Timeline for Catholics <<
Attacks on Conscience Rights
Since the start of the year, Biden’s Department of Health and Human services – led by Catholic Secretary Xavier Becerra – has signaled its intention to roll back President Trump’s 2019 “conscience” rule that allows healthcare workers to opt out of performing services that conflict with their religious beliefs.
The Trump-era rule ensured that Catholic doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals could not be compelled to assist in procedures they believe are immoral – including abortion, “transgender” surgeries, sterilizations, and assisted suicides. It also strengthened protections for Catholic hospitals and other faith-based medical practices to be able to care for patients without being compelled to offer immoral procedures.
Act Now >>> Tell HHS to Stop Attacking Religious Liberty
Despite a misleading HHS press release entitled “New Strengthened Conscience and Religious Nondiscrimination Proposed Rule,” legal scholars warn that this change could result in firings of Catholic healthcare workers and jeopardize funding for Catholic hospitals.
“Since day one of the Biden administration they have targeted people of faith, preferring rewarding sexual license at the cost of religious liberty,” said CatholicVote Director of Government Affairs Tom McClusky. “Despite numerous Court decisions on this issue in favor of people of faith, Biden’s HHS still wants to force their morals, or lack of morals, on the American people.”
The Biden Administration is required by law to accept comments from the public on the proposed rule. There’s still time before the March 6 deadline to tell HHS to reject this attack on conscience rights.
Pro-Abortion Remarks at State of the Union
After the high-profile Chinese spy balloon incident and increasing concerns about the purchase of U.S. farmland by the Chinese Communist Party, some in the media speculated that Biden might draw a hard line on China during his State of the Union Address.
Instead, Biden spent a significant portion of the address calling for increased access to abortion.
“Congress must restore the right the Supreme Court took away last year and codify Roe v. Wade to protect every woman’s constitutional right to choose,” the president said, signaling his full commitment to abortion-on-demand.
“Make no mistake; if Congress passes a national abortion ban, I will veto it,” he added.
Biden’s comments came as the list of churches and pregnancy centers attacked by pro-abortion activists continues to rise. CatholicVote has tracked at least 81 attacks on pro-life pregnancy resource centers and other pro-life groups since the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked in May 2022. During the same span of time, CatholicVote has tracked 127 attacks on Catholic churches.
“The fact is, this kind of provocative rhetoric has only served to fuel the spread of violent attacks on churches and pregnancy help centers since Biden took office,” said CatholicVote President Brian Burch.
“While ignoring these attacks and their victims, the Biden administration has openly weaponized the federal government against pro-life Americans like Mark Houck and his family,” he added.
Weaponization of the FACE Act
Not even a month after Mark Houck’s acquittal, Biden’s Department of Justice charged eight more pro-life activists with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act in February 2023. The charges stem from a 2020 incident when the pro-lifers allegedly blocked the entrance of a Michigan abortion facility.
The DOJ charged 26 pro-life Americans under the FACE Act in 2022 alone, but did not charge one pro-abortion activist that year.
“The shame is that they have no interest in equally pursuing pro-abortion domestic criminals that have vandalized and desecrated hundreds of churches and pregnancy care centers,” CatholicVote President Brian Burch said.
“The Department of Justice should not play favorites when enforcing the law, yet that seems to be the new policy. Once again, when it comes to abortion, all pretense of equal justice is abandoned.”
Disaster in Ohio
After nearly two weeks of questions, the Biden administration denied federal disaster relief funds for East Palestine, OH, only to reverse course two days later after public outcry.
On February 3, about 50 cars on a Norfolk Southern Railroad train carrying vinyl chloride, a dangerous colorless gas, derailed in a small town along the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. After a “controlled burning” of the gas to prevent a larger explosion, concerns began to arise over the health effects for local residents.
Not only were half the town’s residents ordered to evacuate, but reports – including video from Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance – indicated dead wildlife and noticeable chemical residue in streams and rivers.
For his part, Biden has no plans to visit East Palestine, opting instead to go to Ukraine amidst an outcry from local residents.
However, former President Trump traveled to the disaster site, delivering pallets of water and buying McDonald’s meals for first responders. The day after Trump’s visit, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg came to East Palestine, where he offered an apology for not speaking out sooner on the train derailment and ensuing disaster.
Escalating War in Ukraine
While environmental concerns plagued East Palestine, the Biden administration readied another $500 million in military aid for Ukraine, bringing the total military support from the U.S. to more than $29.8 billion since the start of the conflict one year ago.
Meanwhile, with polls showing roughly half the U.S. population opposed to further financial aid to Ukraine, Rep Matt Gaetz and 10 other House Republicans introduced the “Ukraine Fatigue Resolution,” calling on the U.S. to “end its military and financial aid to Ukraine” and urging the combatants to reach a peace agreement.
Biden’s latest aid package to Ukraine includes tanks, missiles, and additional heavy weapons.
More Classified Documents
While other news stories have taken center stage, the Biden administration is still dealing with lingering questions over the president’s handling of classified documents during his time as vice president under Barack Obama.
In fact, just one day after Congress launched a probe into classified material found at Biden’s home, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that he appointed a special counsel to investigate Biden as well.
To date, the administration has refused to comply with the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into Biden’s mishandling of top secret documents after promising the “highest standards of transparency” in U.S. history – instead blaming the National Archives for the ongoing scandal.
Read More >>> HHS Threatens Conscience rights of Catholics, religious faithful
Read More >>> Burning the Churches: Anti-Catholic Violence and Government Silence
