Washington, D.C.- Today, Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Republican Leader of the House Education and Labor Committee Virginia Foxx (R-NC), and Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (R-IN) introduced an amendment to apply the Hyde Amendment to the entire $1.9 trillion reconciliation bill, the most expensive single bill in history. The Hyde Amendment prohibits taxpayer dollars from funding abortions. Rodgers, Foxx, and Walorski released the following statement:
“The science is clear. It’s amazing today that technology allows us to look into the womb and witness the miracle development of a new life day-by-day. Doctors are also able to administer life-saving care to babies before they are even born because of new research and therapies. It’s remarkable and affirms that all life- from the moment of conception and beyond- is worthy of our protection.
“Unfortunately, House Democrats did not include Hyde Protections in the $1.9 trillion reconciliation bill. We are leading to fix this to reflect Congress’s long bipartisan history of supporting Hyde. President Joe Biden supported it for years as a Senator. Democrats also joined us in prohibiting taxpayer funded abortions in all the previous COVID-19 relief packages.
“The Majority should reconsider their hyper-partisan plan of using reconciliation as a vehicle to fund more abortions. With so many Americans in despair because of this pandemic, we should be coming together to provide hope, healing, and a better future for every person in this country. To save more lives and recognize the dignity and value of every life, we urge bipartisan support of our Amendment."
NOTE: Without Hyde protections in the reconciliation package, over $414 billion in taxpayer dollars could potentially be used to pay for elective abortions or plans that cover elective abortions. The Rodgers-Foxx-Walorski amendment would prevent taxpayer dollars under the new COBRA credit and current law premium assistance tax credits from being used to subsidize health insurance plans that cover elective abortion. In addition, this amendment would prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars authorized for public health grants and the direct delivery of health services that are not directly related to preventing and treating COVID-19, to be used for elective abortions.
