Under House Panel US Agencies Could Refuse Gay Couples Trying To Adopt

By Daniella Diaz, CNN

The House Appropriations Committee passed an amendment on Wednesday that, if implemented, would allow adoption agencies to refuse gay couples based on their moral or religious beliefs. 

The amendment, which was introduced by GOP Rep. Robert Aderholt of Alabama, would allow child welfare providers to decline to "provide a service that conflicts with its sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions," according to the congressman.

Because of this provision, the amendment would allow more religious organizations, such as Catholic Charities and Bethany Christian Services -- examples Aderholt provided -- to operate child welfare agencies.

"The reason for this is simply because these organizations, based on religious conviction, choose not to place children with same-sex couples," he said in a statement.

He continued: "The amendment I introduced seeks to prevent these (state) governments from discriminating against child welfare providers on the basis that the provider declines to provide a service that conflicts with its sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions," he said in a statement. 

The amendment could have consequences for LGBTQ-friendly states. It would require the US Department of Health and Human Services to withhold 15% of the federal funds for child welfare services from states and localities don't meet the same standards for protecting religious adoption groups.

Progressive Democrats in the House are speaking out against the amendment, saying it would deny same-sex couples the right to adopt.

"Same-sex couples are six times more likely to foster and four times more likely to adopt. Denying kids loving parents is wrong," Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan, a gay congressman from Wisconsin, said in a tweet.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called the amendment a "disgusting, deeply immoral and profoundly offensive effort." 

"House Republicans chose to sacrifice the well-being of little children to push a bigoted, anti-LGBTQ agenda, potentially denying tens of thousands of vulnerable children the opportunity to find a loving and safe home," the California Democrat said in a statement.

The office of House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.