U.S. Senate

Coburn Budget Amendment (2009)

Congressional Record, Senate
1 April, 2009
S4203

Introduction

The following amendment to a budget bill was introduced in an attempt to counter plans by President Obama to revoke a protection of conscience regulation enacted by the Department of Health and Human Services under the preceding administration. The amendment was defeated (56-41)on 2 April, 2009. [Administrator]

SA 828. Mr. COBURN (for himself, Mr. WICKER, Mr. VITTER, and Mr. INHOFE) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the concurrent resolution S. Con. Res. 13, setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2010, revising the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal year2009, and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2011through 2014; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 31, strike lines 3 through 7 and insert the following:

'cans;(8) maintain long-term fiscal sustainability and pays for itself by reducing healthcare cost growth, improving productivity, or dedicating additional sources of revenue; or

(9)(A) subject to subparagraph (B), protect the freedom of conscience for patients and the right of health care providers to serve patients without violating their moral and religious convictions, which includes, but is not limited to, prohibiting-

(i) discrimination on the basis of a provider's objection to perform or participate in specific surgical or medical procedures or prescribe certain pharmaceuticals;

(ii) legal coercion against a provider who expresses a conscience objection to perform or participate in specific surgical or medical procedures or prescribe certain pharmaceuticals; and

(iii) government coercion of patients to enroll in specific health insurance plans or see pre-selected health care providers; and

(B) require the principles described in subparagraph (A) shall not be construed to authorize or shield from liability the denial, on the basis of a patient's race or present or predicted disability, of a surgical or medical procedure or pharmaceutical that a provider offers to others;