Members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) have issued a joint statement urging lawmakers to advance legislation that supports the family.

The message was spurred on by legislative proposals Congress has been considering in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, a ruling in which the justices determined that abortion should be a matter decided by state legislatures.

“The health, safety, and support of the family should be the focus of all good policymaking,” Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, along with others, said in a recent statement. “A principled commitment to being pro-life entails a commitment both to protecting all human life, especially the most vulnerable, and to advancing policies that help families to flourish.” 

The release noted that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed bills including the Women's Health Protection Act and the Right to Contraception Act, while ignoring legislation such as the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act. The bishops expressed their hope that the Dobbs decision could clear the path for lawmakers to pursue policies that support the dignity of all people; the common good; and the family, which is the building block of society.

“Since Dobbs, too many in Congress have ignored bills that would advance these worthy goals and have focused instead on bills that would attack them,” the release said.

The bishops called for lawmakers to pass measures that would support the USCCB's Standing With Moms in Need initiative, including an expanded child tax credit, a refundable adoption credit, a federal paid family leave policy, additional support for the health of pregnant women and moms, and increased access to nutritional food and affordable housing.

The Standing With Moms in Need program calls on Catholics to support and accompany women and couples facing difficult pregnancies or struggling with parenthood, to ensure that any pregnant women and mothers who need assistance can find the support and resources they need through any Catholic parish, to expand care networks for pregnant women, to listen to pregnant women and mothers in order to better understand their needs, and to advocate for laws that protect every person's right to life. 

Walking With Moms in Need is another Catholic program. It recognizes that while Roe v. Wade stood, more than 65 million babies were aborted. It calls on Catholics to share God's message of forgiveness and compassion toward women and men who have been wounded by abortion and to expand abortion healing ministries, such as Project Rachel.

“Families and individuals, civil society, businesses, non-profits, and religious groups, government officials at all levels — and especially members of Congress — should ask themselves how they are supporting families at this moment, particularly around welcoming new life and raising children through adulthood,” the bishops said.