Thank you, priests, for your service, sacrifices

1. H.R. 5111 (Pitts/Lipinski bill): Fixing life and conscience problems in the new health care law

The bill (H.R. 5111) now has 109 sponsors, including 12 Democrats.  Two sponsors, one from each party — Dan Lipinski (D-IL) and Joseph Cao (R-LA) — voted for the House health care reform bill in November but opposed the final bill after the pro-life language we supported had been removed.  One new sponsor added in May, Jerry Costello (D-IL), voted for the health care reform bill both times.  This illustrates an argument in the Pro-Life Secretariat’s letter to the House, that pro-life members can and should support this bill regardless of how they voted on the final health care law.  Even people who disagreed on whether the final bill was too deficient to support can surely agree that these changes are worthwhile improvements.  This is an opportunity for new common ground, and it is hoped Rep. Costello will be joined by others in his situation.

Recently, law professor Timothy Jost, who had criticized USCCB efforts on the Stupak amendment in November, published an article in Commonweal magazine critiquing the USCCB letter in support of H.R. 5111. Some of his charges are old while others are new misreadings of the law and of the USCCB’s position.  Richard Doerflinger posted a response this week, which is attached here and can also be  seen directly underneath his article on the magazine’s web site: http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/episcopal-oversight.

2. Renewed Fight on Military Abortions

Recently the Senate Armed Services Committee approved an amendment by Senator Burris (D-IL) to the Defense authorization bill, reversing the ban on use of military facilities and personnel for elective abortions.  (The House has passed this bill with the traditional policy intact.)  The USCCB will support efforts in the Senate to restore the ban, then urge the House to stand firm in its own position if the Senate bill does not change.  Attached is a recent letter to the Senate on this issue from the Archdiocese on Military Services; next week you will see a USCCB letter, and an alert from NCHLA at the appropriate time.  It is uncertain when this bill will come to the Senate floor, but it may not occur until after the July 4 recess.  

3. FDA Plan to Approve Ulipristal (”Ella”)

On June 17, an FDA advisory committee unanimously approved a plan to allow the use of the abortion drug ulipristal (trade name “Ella”) for “emergency contraception” up to five days after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure.  Unlike the already approved drug known as “Plan B,” ulipristal is a close analogue to the abortion drug RU-486 which can destroy a newly conceived unborn child both before and after implantation.  It therefore marks a new and more definitive step toward destroying any distinction between contraception and abortion.  Cardinal DiNardo has written to the FDA commissioner protesting against this development, and the Pro-Life Secretariat will be saying and writing a great deal more about it to educate policy makers and others.  One good source of medical documentation on this is the testimony submitted to the FDA by the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, cited in the footnote of the Cardinal’s letter.

U.S. should afford legal protection to foreign workers 

WASHINGTON—Participants at the Catholic bishops’ Regional Consultation on Migration in Washington, June 2-4 issued a joint statement calling for protection, hospitality, service and justice to immigrants throughout the hemisphere.

            The bishops called attention to several issues that should be addressed on a regional level, such as the promotion of sustainable economic development in the hemisphere, violence and drug smuggling, human trafficking, protection of migrants, refugees and other vulnerable population, and special assistance to Haiti.

            They also called upon the Congress of the United States and the Obama Administration to affirm the country’s tradition as a nation of immigrants and “reform U.S. immigration law to allow migrants who work hard in the U.S. economy to enjoy the benefits of legal protection.”

            “This reform would preclude the need to impose criminal penalties on persons not lawfully admitted,” said the bishops. “It also would end deportations of family members and the breakup of families.”

            The meeting congregated Catholic bishops and staff of Catholic agencies working with migrants in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Also present were Archbishop Antonio Maria Veglio, president of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant People and representatives from the Latin American Council of Bishops’ Conferences (CELAM).

            Full text of statement follows. 

Statement of the Participants in the Regional Consultation on Migration

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Washington, D.C.

June 4, 2010

As Catholic bishops of the United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and Canada gathered at our regional consultation meeting in Washington, D.C., June 2-4, 2010, joined at our meeting by religious and lay persons working with migrants, we reaffirm our commitment to vulnerable persons who migrate in search of protection or for a better life for themselves and their families. We acknowledge and appreciate the presence at our meeting of His Excellency Archbishop Antonio Maria Veglio, President of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant People and representative of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. 

We offer several reflections on the current situation regarding migration in this hemisphere, consistent with our long-held view that persons on the move should be protected from harm while in transit and welcomed with hospitality, service, and justice. This view is consistent with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who calls upon all to “welcome the stranger” and who declared “for whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do unto me.” (Mt. 25: 35, 40).

We stand in solidarity with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, who in his recent address to the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant People, called upon the nations of the world to establish policies and plans which give migrants and refugees “opportunities to obtain legal status, promoting the fair rights to family reunification, asylum and refugee status, compensating for necessary restrictive measures and opposing the appalling trafficking of human beings.” We echo the Holy Father’s call to international organizations, international bodies, and nation-states to “resolve the crucial questions of security and development to the benefit of all.” The lack of security and development are the very factors that contribute to the need for people to migrate.

It is a reality that in this hemisphere the human dignity of persons on the move continues to be violated by governmental and nongovernmental actors alike in source, transit, and receiving nations. Migrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers are mistreated and exploited both by government officials and law enforcement officials, as well as smugglers and other criminal elements as they flee poverty, natural disaster, violence, or persecution. The explosion of human trafficking in this hemisphere is a scourge which continues to grow, victimizing men, women, and children.

At the same time, there are many in the Church and other people of goodwill who work hard to protect the rights of persons on the move and who work to change laws to ensure the protection of basic human rights. We stand with them as together we try to educate others about the harsh realities of migration and the need to demonstrate compassion and justice to those less fortunate.

We also acknowledge and support the right of our governments to ensure the integrity of their borders and the common good of their citizenry. We strongly believe, however, that these goals can be achieved and the rule of law preserved without violating human rights. Governments can and must collaborate effectively to achieve regional development and stability.

With these perspectives in mind, we call attention to specific issues which should be addressed on a regional basis, with cooperation from all governments of this hemisphere:

The Promotion of Sustainable Economic Development in this Hemisphere.  The factors which compel people to migrate in search of work are primarily, but not solely, economic. Families in poorer countries struggle to meet their most basic needs and living-wage jobs remain scarce. Root economic causes of migration must be addressed so that migrants can remain in their home countries and support their families. The impact of current and proposed trade agreements and agricultural policy in the region must be reviewed in terms of the displacement of small farmers and workers, and subsequent migration.

For example, the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), touted initially as the key to economic development in the region, has failed to reach those on the bottom rungs of the economic ladder. International institutions, such as international lending institutions, have not adequately addressed the needs of the poor in the region. 

The goals of the millennium have not been fully realized, and now climate change is adding another element to the migration phenomenon. These economic tools must be used in a way that increases the ability of the poor to escape poverty and not be forced to migrate to other countries.   

The Economic Drivers of Violence.  Economic insecurity and deprivation add to a number of social issues that together provide fertile breeding grounds for violence. The lack of economic opportunity as well as the lack of a sense of social meaning, especially among younger adults, fuels the resort to underground and illicit activities in many of the countries of the hemisphere.  The increasing power of drug smuggling networks must be combated, both by law enforcement efforts but also by eradicating the market for these illicit substances, particularly in the United States. 

The Protection of Migrants, Refugees, and Other Vulnerable People in Transit.  Persons on the move in this hemisphere are subject to exploitation, abuse, and prolonged detention in all countries. Laws must be examined and reformed in each country to establish mechanisms to ensure safe passage, protection, and due process for migrants and their families, while ensuring that violent criminals are constrained.

The Scourge of Human Trafficking. While progress has been made in raising awareness of human trafficking in this hemisphere, much more must be achieved to eradicate this scourge. Governments and nongovernmental actors must work together to address the economic and social factors that make people vulnerable to trafficking. They must root out trafficking networks, and provide rescue and services to victims. Special attention must be paid to children, who are the most vulnerable victims.

Assistance for Haiti.  We call upon all governments of this hemisphere to provide special care to the people of Haiti as they attempt to rebuild their country after the January earthquake. We urge all nations to continue with their generosity and support, but also to apply and amend their migration laws to accommodate, to the greatest extent possible, Haitians and their families who can no longer remain in Haiti.

As an immigrant nation, the United States and the American people, including Catholics, have traditionally welcomed newcomers and helped to integrate them into the country. We call upon the Congress of the United States and the Obama Administration to affirm this honored tradition and reform U.S. immigration law to allow migrants who work hard in the U.S. economy to enjoy the benefits of legal protection. 

This reform would preclude the need to impose criminal penalties on persons not lawfully admitted. It also would end deportations of family members and the breakup of families. In all countries of the region we continue to welcome and protect migrants and call upon our governments to make their immigration laws more humane.

As pastors, we have an obligation to defend the rights of all persons, particularly the most vulnerable members of the human community. We call upon all members of the Catholic community in our nations to stand in solidarity with persons on the move and to work for their just and humane treatment.

May we be worthy of the admonition of our Lord and Savior, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me….” (Mt. 25: 34-35).

Delivered in Washington, D.C., on 4 June, the year of our Lord, 2010

Signatories:

Most Reverend Rutilio del Riego

Auxiliary Bishop of San Bernardino

Chairman, Subcommittee for the Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees and People on the Move

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Most Reverend Pedro Pablo Elizondo

Bishop of Chetumal

Member, Commission for the Pastoral Care of Persons on the Move

Mexican Bishops’ Conference

Most Reverend François Gayot, S.M.M.

Archbishop Emeritus of Cap-Haïtien, Haïti

Most Reverend Pedro Hernández

Bishop of Darién, Panamá

Most Reverend Bernardo Hombach

Bishop Emeritus of Granada, Nicaragua

Chairman of Human Mobility, Bishops’ Conference of Nicaragua

Most Reverend Fracois Lapierre

Bishop of Saint-Hyacinthe

Episcopal Conference of Canada

Most Reverend John Manz

Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago

USCCB

Most Reverend Thomas Maurus Muldoon

Bishop of Juticalpa

Chairman of Social Services and Caritas

Episcopal Conference of Honduras

Most Reverend Francisco Ozoria

Bishop of San Pedro de Macorَís

President of the Commission on Persons on the Move

Episcopal Conference of the Dominican Republic

Most Reverend Alvaro L. Ramazzini Imeri

Bishop of San Marcos, Guatemala

Most Reverend Ricardo Ramirez

Bishop of Las Cruces

Most Reverend Rafael Romo

Archbishop of Tijuana

Chairman, Pastoral Care of Persons on the Move

Episcopal Conference of Mexico

Most Reverend Angel San Casimiro

Bishop of Alajuela

Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica

Most Reverend Anthony Taylor

Bishop of Little Rock

USCCB 

Most Reverend Raúl Vera

Bishop of Saltillo, Mexico

Most Reverend John C. Wester

Bishop of Salt Lake City

Chairman, USCCB Committee on Migration

Fixing Health Care a Legislative Goal of U.S. Bishops

WASHINGTON—Congress should support a bipartisan bill that will remedy the abortion and conscience flaws in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), according to the Chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. In a May 20 letter to Congress, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston said PPACA was an important step toward ensuring access to health coverage for all Americans but was “profoundly flawed in its treatment of abortion, conscience rights, and fairness to immigrants.” He urged members to support H.R. 5111, sponsored by Reps. Joseph Pitts (R-PA) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) with 91 other House members, and added, “Efforts to ensure that our health care system truly serves the life, health and conscience of all will be a legislative goal of the Catholic bishops in the months to come.”

This legislation, wrote Cardinal DiNardo, “will bring PPACA into line with policies on abortion and conscience rights that have long prevailed in other federal health programs” by ensuring PPACA funds are covered by the Hyde Amendment, along with other provisions.

Cardinal DiNardo said those who believe President Obama’s executive order addressed these concerns should support the new bill, as the legislation would codify and strengthen the order. H.R. 5111 addresses abortion and conscience issues not taken up in the executive order, and remedies its reinforcement of “problematic aspects of the Act, such as its providing federal subsidies for health plans that cover abortions,” he said.

With PPACA now passed into law, Cardinal DiNardo said, “Problems of abortion and conscience in the legislation can be addressed on their own merits, not greeted by false charges that any such effort must be aimed at preventing passage of the Act.” He added, “If these genuine problems are not addressed in their own right, they will be taken up and used as ammunition by those who favor repealing PPACA outright, which would eliminate the positive as well as negative aspects of the new law.”

He also reiterated the bishops’ call for “a reformed health care system that respects the life, health and conscience of all.”

FULL TEXT of the letter follows:

May 20, 2010

Dear Member of Congress:

With the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), our country took an important step toward ensuring access to health coverage for all Americans.  However, as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has explained in past letters and analyses, the final Act approved on March 22 was profoundly flawed in its treatment of abortion, conscience rights, and fairness to immigrants (see www.usccb.org/healthcare).  Efforts to ensure that our health care system truly serves the life, health and conscience of all will be a legislative goal of the Catholic bishops in the months to come.

Reps. Joseph Pitts (R-PA) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) with 91 other House members have made a significant contribution to this important task, by co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation to remedy PPACA’s serious problems on abortion.  This legislation (H.R. 5111), based on the health care reform bill approved by the House last fall, will bring PPACA into line with policies on abortion and conscience rights that have long prevailed in other federal health programs.

H.R. 5111 will do the following:

(1) Ensure that all funds authorized or appropriated by PPACA are covered by the longstanding policy of the Hyde amendment against funding abortions except in cases of life endangerment or rape/incest.  The Act currently appropriates billions of dollars in new funds for health services without limiting use of these funds for elective abortions.

(2) Prevent federal funds from subsidizing health plans that cover abortions beyond the Hyde exceptions, so PPACA will follow the policy that already governs Medicaid and Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program, Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and other programs where federal funds combine with other funds to support health coverage.  Like the Stupak amendment approved by the House last fall, this will not prevent anyone from purchasing a health plan covering abortions (or separate coverage for abortion itself) with nonfederal funds.

(3) Restore the conscience provision on abortion approved by the House last November (sec. 259 of H.R. 3962), modeled on the Weldon amendment that has been part of the annual Labor/HHS appropriations bills since 2004.  This will ensure that federal, state and local governmental entities receiving federal funds under PPACA may not discriminate against health care providers who decline involvement in abortion.  PPACA’s clause allowing states to require provision of services in some cases (sec. 1303(d)) will also be subject to this conscience clause.

(4) Close a loophole in the Act’s non-preemption clause on state laws (sec. 1303(c)(1) of PPACA), so state laws restricting abortion or protecting conscience rights will not be preempted by PPACA.  Currently the Act only protects state laws related to abortion coverage or procedural requirements for abortions.

(5) Clarify PPACA’s clause on preserving other federal laws (sec. 1303(c)(2)) so laws restricting abortion or abortion coverage as well as laws on conscience rights are preserved.

Some may assume these goals are already achieved through President Obama’s executive order of March 21 on abortion funding in PPACA.  To the extent that this is so, of course, it is not an argument against H.R. 5111, because it would merely codify those elements of the President’s policy.  However, the executive order does not address, or claim to address, several of the problems cited above.  On other issues it even reinforces problematic aspects of the Act, such as its providing federal subsidies for health plans that cover abortions.  Of course the Act’s policy of merely “segregating funds” within such plans violates the federal abortion policy governing every other federal program, and still forces every American who purchases such plans to pay for other people’s abortions.

 The executive order also claims to apply the Hyde Amendment to the funds that PPACA authorizes and appropriates for Community Health Centers, although the Act clearly does not apply the Hyde Amendment to these funds.  The question here is whether the President has the legal authority to do so, given a long line of federal court decisions construing similar statutes to fund abortion services unless Congress has explicitly stated otherwise.  When courts have handed down such decisions, it has sometimes taken years of litigation and debate to resolve the issue – years during which federal funds were used for hundreds of thousands of abortions a year.  Given this history, we should not gamble these lives on a guess as to how a federal judge will respond to the first lawsuit seeking a federally funded abortion at a Community Health Center.  This serious problem requires a statutory solution.

With the enactment of PPACA, the task of keeping the federal government out of the abortion business can now be pursued with less distraction from other issues and agendas.  Problems of abortion and conscience in the legislation can be addressed on their own merits, not greeted by false charges that any such effort must be aimed at preventing passage of the Act.  To the contrary: If these genuine problems are not addressed in their own right, they will be taken up and used as ammunition by those who favor repealing PPACA outright, which would eliminate the positive as well as negative aspects of the new law.  In short, to support this legislation, members of Congress need not agree that these changes are essential to make the Act acceptable – though that is our conviction.  They need only agree that the changes are worthwhile. 

I therefore urge members of both parties who support rights of conscience and the policy of the Hyde amendment to support and co-sponsor H.R. 5111.  Please help give us a reformed health care system that respects the life, health and conscience of all.

                                                            Sincerely,

                                                             Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo

                                                            Chairman, Committee on Pro-Life Activities

                                                            United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Affordable housing advocates are organizing a national effort to urge Members of Congress to appropriate $1 billion for the housing trust fund in “must-pass” legislation. Please take a few short moments to read the Action Alert below and sign your organization onto the support of this effort. See links in the alert below to deliver that message.

Sign on to National Letter Asking Congress to Fund the National Housing Trust Fund NOW!

More Info

 ***

 We, the undersigned organizations, urge Congress to act soon to provide the initial funding for the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF). We are requesting $1.065 billion be provided immediately to the NHTF: $1 billion to capitalize the NHTF and $65 million for project-based vouchers to couple with NHTF capital grants.

 The NHTF was created in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) to address the severe shortage of rental homes that are affordable for the lowest income families, but it has not yet been funded. The President proposed funding for the NHTF in his FY10 and FY11 budget requests. 

 In the United States today, there are only 37 rental homes available and affordable for every 100 households with incomes below 30% of their area median.  A scarcity of housing that the poorest families can afford is the principle cause of homelessness in the United States.

 Investment in the NHTF will create good jobs. Every $1 billion provided to the Trust Fund will support the immediate construction of 10,000 rental homes, creating 15,100 new construction jobs and 3,800 new jobs in ongoing operations.

 We urge Congress to provide this badly needed funding at the soonest possible opportunity.

***

Can your organization join the letter to help urge Congress to action? Click HERE to add your support today.

 It is crucial that a large number of organizations sign on to this letter of support. Once your organization has signed, please ‘forward’ this email to send it on to friends and coworkers.

 Need to learn more about the National Housing Trust Fund before signing on? Click here for background information.

THANK YOU FOR SIGNING THIS LETTER TODAY!

The New START Treaty: reduces deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550, 30 percent below the existing ceiling; limits the United States and Russia to no more than 700 delivery vehicles; and includes new verification requirements. The Treaty needs ratification by the U.S. Senate.  USCCB supports strong, bipartisan action to ratify the New START Treaty.

The attached file contains four resources to help you engage the Catholic community:

1.  Letter from Cardinal George to President Obama:  On April 8, 2010, Francis Cardinal George, President of USCCB, welcomed the signing of the New START Treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation. He urged members of the U.S. Senate to come together across party lines to ratify the new START Treaty.  For the letter in Spanish, click here.

2.  Action Alert:  Distribute this alert and urge senators to ratify the new START treaty to verifiably reduce nuclear weapons.

3.  Catholic Study Guide for use with Nuclear Tipping Point DVD:  This study guide based on Catholic social teaching is for use with a free DVD, Nuclear Tipping Point. It is designed to assist small groups of adults and mature young people in exploring some issues related to nuclear weapons in the light of their Catholic faith. The small group study can be completed in two one-hour sessions.

4.  Background on Nuclear Arms Treaties:  This background material explores the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the new START Treaty, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the Church’s activities and teaching related to nuclear weapons. For this information in Spanish, click here.

GAMC is an essential state-funded health care program that annually provides basic care to 77,000 of Minnesota’s poorest and most vulnerable adults. It is scheduled to end on April 1, 2010. The majority of Minnesotans receiving GAMC have as their only income the $203 per month they receive from General Assistance payments. One-third of Minnesotans enrolled in GAMC are homeless, more than half suffer from mental illness or chemical dependency, and nearly one-third live with a chronic medical illness. The bishops stated that the focus of GAMC reform efforts must be “providing accessible health care coverage to our neighbors in need.”

The Minnesota House of Representatives is expected to vote on a reformed GAMC program (House File 2680) during today’s 11:00 a.m. floor session.

Read the letter here.

            The leaders of Migration and Refugee Services of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities USA, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., and the International Catholic Migration Commission wrote on the topic of Haitian children, February 4, to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

            “The compassion of the American people has been evident in their response to Haitian children who have been left alone after the earthquake,” the executives wrote. “As social service providers with experience in handling unaccompanied children, we believe that certain processes should be established before such children are brought to the United States and placed in adoption proceedings.”

            The letter outlined the following procedures to protect Haitian children:

• The establishment of safe havens in Haiti so children would have security and proper care;
• The assignment of child welfare experts to make best interest determinations for each child, including the best placements for children;
• Family tracing efforts so that children could be reunited with their parents and families;
• Placement in foster care with refugee benefits for those children whose best interest is served by relocation to the United States; and
• Expedited consular processing for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with minor children in Haiti, as well as for those with approved petitions for family reunification.

            The agency heads stressed that Haitian children who are not already matched with adoptive parents in the United States should only be brought to the United States after it is determined that it is in the interest of the child.

            “Family reunification is an important goal and must be protected to the greatest extent possible, while placement with a guardian within Haiti will sometimes prove to be the appropriate course,” they wrote. “If no family or appropriate guardian is found, and if it is further determined that it is in the child’s best interest not to remain in Haiti, the child should be considered for international placement.”

            The executives concluded that, in the long-term, reconstruction funds should include resources to the Government of Haiti to provide protection to unaccompanied children who remain in Haiti.

            Full text of the letter follows:

Dear Madam Secretaries:

As representatives of the Catholic social service network in the United States and internationally, we write to offer our views on the situation of Haitian unaccompanied children (commonly, but not always correctly referred to as “orphans”) in the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti on January 12.

The compassion of the American people has been evident in their response to Haitian children who have been left alone after the earthquake, including the many offers to adopt children who might have lost their parents in the tragedy.   As social service providers with experience in handling unaccompanied children, we believe that certain processes should be established before such children are brought to the United States and placed in any legal adoption proceedings.  

In any humanitarian crisis, many children are left without anyone to care for them. Whether parents or guardians are killed or families are separated by war or natural disaster, these children are in dire need of special assistance or protection. In order to properly serve these children and to ensure that their special needs are met, safeguards and procedures must be established that preserve the best interest of each individual child.

We are heartened to learn that the U.S. government, in cooperation with the United Nations and the government of Haiti, has taken steps to protect Haitian unaccompanied children within Haiti and to locate parents or family members. Other steps must be taken to ensure that child protection standards are maintained.

In our view, the U.S. government must take the following steps to ensure that Haitian children are cared for in an appropriate manner:

Safe havens for Haitian unaccompanied children must be established within Haiti, so that proper care can be given to the children and appropriate screening can be conducted. We are in support of the efforts of the United Nations and the government of Haiti, in conjunction with the U.S. government, to establish safe zones and interim care centers for children who are unaccompanied.   Such arrangements for the security and material support of these children, who might otherwise be subject to kidnapping and human trafficking, should be the highest priority, and will permit the appropriate screening processes to proceed without delay.

Child welfare experts should be assigned to engage in ongoing assessment and to make best interest determinations (BIDs) for each child, including individualized recommendations for the placement of any children. Child welfare experts should be deployed to ascertain the circumstances of each child and make recommendations for his or her care and placement. This would include immediate registration, an assessment of the family situation, physical and emotional needs of the child, and long-term placement options. We applaud the initial efforts of the United Nations, the government of Haiti, and nongovernmental organizations in this regard.

Family tracing should be conducted for each child, to determine whether parents, other family members, or guardians remain alive and, to ascertain whether family reunification is a possibility.   We are heartened that family tracing has been initiated within Haiti to determine whether a child’s parent, family, or guardian can be located. Family reunification is an important goal and must be protected to the greatest extent possible, while placement with a guardian within Haiti will sometimes prove to be the appropriate course. If no family or appropriate guardian is found, and if it is further determined that it is in the child’s best interest not to remain in Haiti, the child should be considered for international placement. In the case of the United States, such children should be paroled and placed in the care of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where they will be eligible for program services for unaccompanied refugee minors.

Children should be placed in foster care placements prior to being considered for adoption.

Unaccompanied Haitian children arriving in the United States should be put under the auspices of HHS and, consistent with the results of best interest determination and processes, placed in foster homes or community-based facilities, until family reunification can occur or adoption avenues explored. This will require an appropriate level of resources and reinforcement of the network of public-private partnerships engaged with HHS in this work. 

By following these processes, Haitian children would be able to receive benefits and services tailored to their specific needs and would be under the care of families, in the foster-care context, who have been carefully screened by the U.S. government and child welfare experts. They would also remain connected to family tracing services which would enable them to return to their family and country if the opportunity arose.

Expedited consular processing should be provided for children who have parents in the United States. In some cases, children in Haiti are related to Haitian permanent residents in the United States with whom they should be reunited but cannot because of delays in the family-based immigration system.   Currently, U.S. citizens may have immediate relative petitions pending for their minor children in Haiti.   These petitions (along with petitions on behalf of their spouses, who are also in the immediate relative category) should be expedited and immigrant visas be granted immediately.

In cases where U.S. citizens or permanent residents have approved petitions with current priority dates for their families waiting in Haiti, their consular processing should be expedited to bring these family members, including children, to the United States as soon as possible.

Where petitions have been approved and priority dates are not yet current, especially those on behalf of minor children and spouses of permanent residents, beneficiaries should be granted humanitarian parole to wait in the United States until they are able to adjust their status.

From our experience working with children in disaster-related and other displacement contexts, it is our view that as a general rule it would not be in the best interest of Haiti’s children, or Haiti as a whole, for unaccompanied children to be evacuated from their home country without a careful, individualized assessment of what is best for each of them. While it is important to respond quickly to protect these children in the wake of the disaster, long-term harm could come to them if this response is not carried out in line with international protection standards.

Over the long-term, the U.S. government should ensure that future reconstruction funds to Haiti include resources that provide protection to unaccompanied children who remain in Haiti, so that they are not victims of human traffickers or other criminal elements.

We appreciate the response of the U.S. government to the natural disaster in Haiti and hope to work with you to ensure that these vulnerable children, as well as other victims of the earthquake, receive the care and support they need to resume their lives.

Sincerely,

Ambassador Johnny Young

Executive Director

Migration and Refugee Services

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Maria Odom

Executive Director

Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.

Father Larry Snyder

President

Catholic Charities, USA

Ken Hackett

President

Catholic Relief Services

Johan Ketelers

Secretary General

International Catholic Migration Commission

“The health care debate, with all its political and ideological conflict, seems to have lost its central moral focus and policy priority, which is to ensure that affordable, quality, life-giving care is available to all,” said a letter signed by Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston and Bishops William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre, N.Y., and John C. Wester of Salt Lake City. The three chair the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ committees on Pro-Life Activities, on Domestic Justice and Human Development and on Migration, respectively.

Although the letter did not refer specifically to the Jan. 19 election of Republican Scott Brown of Massachusetts to the U.S. Senate, the bishops said, “Although political contexts have changed, the moral and policy failure that leaves tens of millions of our sisters and brothers without access to health care still remains.”

by Catholic News Service