Cranford, NJ—Today in response to the introduction of the Put Patients First Act by Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA), Representative Chris Pappas (D-NH), and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), American Atheists President Nick Fish released the following statement:
Religious dogma is no excuse to put patients’ lives at risk. We thank Reps. Lee and Pappas and Senator Murray for introducing the Put Patients First Act to make it clear that patients’ care comes first.
It is unconscionable that religion is used to deny necessary medical treatment for women seeking contraception or abortion services, LGBTQ people, or anyone else in America. At a time when religious hospitals are turning away women having miscarriages, trans people seeking basic medical treatment, and even children with same-sex parents, the Put Patients First Act is a necessary and overdue shield to protect vulnerable Americans from the weaponization of religion in our healthcare system.
With the Trump administration trying to ram through a religious refusal rule that’s thankfully tied up in the courts, I urge the House and Senate to put patients first by passing this bill. Countless lives are on the line. We can’t wait another moment to protect the right to access needed healthcare from these religious extremists.
