Reps. Palmer, Hoogendyk, Sheltrown, Mayes, Stahl, Nofs, Sheen, Dean, Ball, Byrnes, Caul, Gonzales, Kathleen Law, Lemmons, Opsommer, Polidori, Proos and Shaffer offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 457.

            A resolution to memorialize Congress to insure diversity and choice in health care coverage for families.

Whereas, The people of the United States, through their elected legislators, have chosen over time to provide health care coverage to various vulnerable populations through government sponsored health care programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and S-CHIP.  These programs have served a vital role in the health and well-being of individuals and the general welfare of our nation as a whole; and

            Whereas, Given that different populations have different health needs, it has been important to the success of the various health plans that those needs be taken into consideration when the structure and logistics of the programs are designed and implemented. In some instances health care services involve matters literally of life and death, or touch upon deeply personal areas that involve the moral, philosophical, or religious beliefs of families, particularly of parents with children; and

            Whereas, Individuals and families, as citizens and as taxpayers, should be afforded the opportunity to participate in or select health care plan options that do not violate their moral, philosophical, or religious beliefs.  The precedent for respecting the beliefs of individuals as they select and access government-sponsored health programs was established by Congress in the federal employees health benefit system whereby federal employees have the option of choosing a health care plan consistent with their beliefs and values; now therefore, it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we hereby memorialize the Congress of the United States to insure that parents of the poor, the working poor, and the disabled will be offered the option to enroll their children in health plans (Medicaid, S-CHIP, Medicare, respectively) that respect the beliefs and values of the parents, particularly as they relate to matters of abortion, abortifacients, contraception and sterilization; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.