Which pastors in Nebraska are urging Senator Nelson to support Health Care reform?"

The effort to persuade Sen. Ben Nelson to end his threat to filibuster health care reform without tougher restrictions on abortion have resulted in an interesting role reversal: three Nebraska pastors are now urging the senator to support the bill. Revs. Bert Thelen, S.J., Jane Florence and David Lux took to the pages of the Omaha World Herald on Friday in an op-ed that framed the need for health care reform as a moral imperative. The trio didn't address the issue of abortion directly. But their pleas to Nelson to help pass reform (and "ensure" his legacy in Nebraska) seem to indicate that Nelson should save his concerns over abortion for another day.  more

Nebraska religious leaders tell Nelson abortion language is OK Two dozen pastors, priests and religious leaders from Nebraska told Sen. Ben Nelson on Friday they support the abortion language proposed as a health care reform compromise. "We believe such a compromise is necessary to avoid an impasse that could threaten the future of one of our nation's most important legislative and moral priorities," they wrote Nelson. Nelson on Thursday said the compromise language barring federal funding of abortions is "not sufficient" to gain his support. Earlier, Nebraska Right to Life Executive Director Julie Schmit-Albin rejected the proposal offered to Nelson by Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania. Friday's letter to Nelson was intended to express an alternative anti-abortion view. Signing the letter were Catholic priests, Protestant pastors and a Jewish rabbi. The compromise plan includes provisions that adequately assure no federal funds can be used to pay for abortions, they wrote. "We strongly ...  more

Revs. Bert Thelen, S.J., Jane Florence and David Lux took to the pages of the Omaha World Herald on Friday in an op-ed that framed the need for health care reform as a moral imperative. --------------- The effort to persuade Sen. Ben Nelson to end his threat to filibuster health care reform without tougher restrictions on abortion have resulted in an interesting role reversal: three Nebraska pastors are now urging the senator to support the bill. Revs. Bert Thelen, S.J., Jane Florence and David Lux took to the pages of the Omaha World Herald on Friday in an op-ed that framed the need for health care reform as a moral imperative. The trio didn't address the issue of abortion directly. But their pleas to Nelson to help pass reform (and "ensure" his legacy in Nebraska) seem to indicate that Nelson should save his concerns over abortion for another day. As Nebraska faith leaders, we call for systemic change that is guided by the following principles based on our religious values. We ...  more