Democrats projected to keep House, plan to advance abortion legislation

November 3, 2020 CNA Daily News News Briefs 0 Print

CNA Staff, Nov 3, 2020 / 09:05 pm (CNA).- Democrats will retain control of the House of Representatives, NBC News and Bloomberg projected late Tuesday night. Democrats have pledged to push for federal funding of abortion if they retained control of the House after the 2020 election.

While Republicans have so far flipped one seat and could pick up additional seats in late returns, those results are not projected to be enough for Republicans to regain control of the House, leaving Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as the presumptive favorite to return as Speaker in 2021.

Although Pelosi has said she will seek another term in the Speaker’s chair, she is 80 years old and may face challenges for the speakership from the growing number of Democrats who say that Pelosi’s views are more centrist than their policy agenda. Among those Democrats is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).

Pro-life Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellas (D-TX), one of the few remaining pro-life Democrats in Congress, handily won reelection in the Texas 28th Congressional district, but Democrats are expected to advance several pro-abortion policy initiatives in the next Congressional term, especially if Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden wins the presidency, and if the Democrats also gain control of the Senate.

Although Democrats are expected to continue to control the House of Representatives, it remains to be seen which party will control the Senate.

A divided Congress blocked the House of Representatives from achieving many key Democratic policy goals over the last several years, many of which are likely to return in the coming term.

The House passed the controversial Equality Act in May 2019, which placed so-called gender identity and sexual orientation alongside race in non-discrimination law, was criticized by the U.S. bishops for its potential to undermine key religious freedoms. The bill, which exempted itself from the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, was never voted on by the Republican-controlled Senate.

The Democratic House also passed the HEROES Act, which included provisions that could fund abortion services under the guise of coronavirus relief.

Pro-life leaders pointed out in May that the House-approved stimulus bill failed to incorporate Hyde Amendment protections in critical spots—thus allowing for taxpayer funding of abortions. The Hyde Amendment bars federal funding of elective abortions, and its repeal has been a long-standing aim of House Democrats.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, said the stimulus legislation was “full of giveaways to the abortion lobby.”

“Shame on the Pelosi Democrats for exploiting a national emergency to foist a radical abortion agenda on the American people,” Dannenfelser said.

“Not only does the bill fund abortion and health plans that cover abortion, it includes subsidies to the abortion industry,” she stated.

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How Christians can accompany those with same-sex attraction

September 19, 2017 CNA Daily News 0

Washington D.C., Sep 19, 2017 / 04:09 pm (CNA).- Have compassion and empathy: especially for those dealing with struggles which are different than yours.

This is the message Dan Mattson hopes all believers will take from his book, which encourages a new sense of compassion for those who have same-sex attractions.

“I’d encourage them to have compassion and empathy,” Mattson said of his message to believers. “Maybe they can’t empathize, but they can have compassion.”

In his book, “Why I Don’t Call Myself Gay,” Mattson discusses his objection to the use of the term “gay” – as well as the term “straight” – in reference to human sexuality.

The Church’s traditional view of sexuality – which does not define persons by their attractions – presents a fuller vision of human identity and life, he said. Taken alongside other teachings on suffering and chastity more broadly, this vision for sexuality leads to true happiness for all persons, including those who experience same-sex attractions.

His writings have gained the support of Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles and Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments, who wrote the foreword for the book and mentioned his support for the book in a recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.  

Mattson encouraged those who experience same-sex attractions, along with their family and friends, to have faith in the Church and the Gospel. “Have confidence that the Church is the place for all of (your) loved ones, on any teaching on these issues of such contention these days,” he said. “It’s the source where we’re going to find freedom and true joy. We really have to believe that chastity is the Good News.”

He also encouraged people with loved ones experiencing these attractions “to journey along with them, accompany them in love.” He advised family to “listen to their story” before talking about morality. “Trust that God, in the fullness of time, is going to bring this person back, but equip yourself with good ways to talk about the Church’s teaching as Good News and trust that God will give the opportunity and give you that chance to help bring them home.”

Mattson explained that he wrote the book as a way of making sense of his own experiences with same-sex attraction, and questions he had when he was younger. “Hopefully it will help some other people who love God and want to follow him,” he offered.

He said that, in his experience, the modern way of talking about sexuality in which people are considered as either “gay” or “straight” misses the context the Church provides, which looks at a person as a whole. The same element of Church teaching which deals with sexuality also says “that we all have challenges to growth,” Mattson explained. “Well, this is a challenge to growth for me, but the Catechism tells me what to do and the Church is there to guide me, just like everyone else.”

One of the challenges to growth that Mattson hopes his experience can illuminate is the challenge of loneliness – “a fundamental question that anyone with same-sex attraction has to ask.”

He explained that readers of all backgrounds have offered that they found his testimony to the experience of loneliness fruitful and enlightening, and said that the struggles of loneliness faced by those with same-sex attraction can help others who may be single or widowed or divorced facing the same battle.

“I have found that I write quite a bit about friendship and how good, healthy friendships have helped me, but also I’ve come to realize that loneliness can be a gift we can enter into,” he said.

 

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