The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has released
a statement regarding
the
Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act. It reads in
part:
For nearly a century,
the Catholic bishops of the United States have been and continue to be
consistent advocates for comprehensive health care reform to ensure access to
life-affirming health care for all, especially the poorest and the most
vulnerable. Although the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
did not participate in these cases and took no position on the specific
questions presented to the Court, USCCB's position on health care reform
generally and on ACA particularly is a matter of public record. The bishops
ultimately opposed final passage of ACA for several reasons.
…
Following enactment
of ACA, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has not joined in
efforts to repeal the law in its entirety, and we do not do so today. The
decision of the Supreme Court neither diminishes the moral imperative to ensure
decent health care for all, nor eliminates the need to correct the fundamental
flaws described above. We therefore continue to urge Congress to pass, and the
Administration to sign, legislation to fix those flaws.