San Antonio – Dressed in scrubs with the historic San Fernando Cathedral in the background, Texas Senate candidate Dr. Donna Campbell spoke to an enthusiastic crowd at the Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally on Friday. The rally was organized by the Texas Leadership Coalition and held at the main plaza in downtown San Antonio to demonstrate against the recent contraception mandate.
The Obama administration and Health and Human Services Secretary have been under heavy criticism ever since declaring that religious organizations and affiliations (other than churches and synagogues) must cover birth control, abortifacients, and in some cases, even abortions free of charge for employees. After fierce pushback from the Catholic Church, the government mandate was amended to put the burden on health insurance companies, not religious organizations, although U.S. Roman Catholic bishops claim they are still negatively affected and can’t opt out of the coverage.
“As a practicing physician, mom, and woman of faith, I am deeply troubled by this unconstitutional overreach,” Dr. Donna Campbell told the crowd. “This is a dagger aimed at the heart of Western civilization, an attack on who we are as a free society and a moral people. Obamacare not only dangerously places a bureaucrat between you and your doctor, it now puts the government between Americans and their deeply held religious beliefs.”
“We cannot afford to be a nation that is materially rich and spiritually poor,” Dr. Campbell continued. “Those aren’t my word, but words spoken by President John F. Kennedy. This decision, without the consent of the governed, misplaces our nation’s priorities, trading freedom and dignity for the empty promise of government freebies. It will make our nation poorer, both morally and fiscally, and I’m afraid it will force many Catholic hospitals to close their doors, leading to poorer health services.”
Dr. Donna Campbell is a New Braunfels physician running for the senate seat currently held by 18 year incumbent Sen. Jeff Wentworth of Alamo Heights. She has been endorsed by Texas Right to Life, Texas Alliance for Life, and the Central Texas Republican Assembly.