Richmond, Va.

Virginia's two Catholic bishops have urged the state's lawmakers to enact health care reforms "that cover everyone and protect everyone, born and unborn."

A statement issued Friday by Bishops Francis DiLorenzo of Richmond and Paul Loverde of Arlington was prompted by the Virginia General Assembly's ongoing debate over health care reform during a special session on the state budget.

According to the Associated Press, one of the issues facing law makers is what to do about Medicaid expansion, which has resulted in an impasse, delaying passage of a state budget.

Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and the Democrat majority in the Senate, with the support of three Republicans, want to expand Medicaid eligibility to about 400,000 low-income residents. House Republicans oppose the Senate's proposal.

"The current debate over health care and the state budget is, at its heart, about Virginia's poorest and most vulnerable people," DiLorenzo and Loverde said. "For this reason, it is one we bishops care about deeply, and are actively engaged in through our Virginia Catholic Conference."

The conference, which released their statement, is the public policy arm of the Catholic church in Virginia.

The bishops said their advocacy on the issue of health care "is informed by the church's teaching that, first, everyone has the right to life, and second, health care is a right -- not a privilege -- that flows from the right to life itself.

"This understanding transcends the categories of left and right, liberal and conservative, Democrat and Republican," they said. "It applies to all members of the human family -- born and unborn, affluent and poor, insured and uninsured."

To reach the goal of covering and protecting everyone with decent health care, the bishops described "two gaps" they said must be closed.

Excerpt from:

Health care must protect everyone, 'born and unborn,' say bishops