The House of Representatives has passed a spending bill that does not include the Hyde Amendment, which prevents taxpayer funds from paying for abortions.
In a vote of 219-208, the House majority voted to approve H.R. 4502, which is a bill that includes funding for Labor, Health and Human Services, Educations (LHHS) Appropriations Act and Financial Services and General Government.
In addition to removing the Hyde Amendment and the Weldon Amendment, which protects health care workers from being forced to engage in abortion procedures, it also forces those taking Title X funding to offer three things after a positive pregnancy test, (1) prenatal care and delivery; (2) infant care, foster care, and adoption; and (3) abortion/abortion referral.
Though the bill passed the House, thankfully, it faces a tough fight in the Senate.
However, pro-abortion activists and politicians are celebrating this decision.
Rep. Diana DeGette, Colorado, tweeted, “For the first time in 45 years, the House just passed a spending bill WITHOUT the Hyde Amendment! For decades, this archaic policy has prevented MILLIONS of women from accessing the abortion care they need. This is a BIG win in our fight to finally #EndHyde.”
Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Illinois, wrote, “Proud doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel about helping pass the FIRST federal spending bill WITHOUT the Hyde Amendment. Today was the day to #BeBoldEndHyde, and we did just that.
“By passing this spending bill, we are one step closer to ending unjust policies like the Hyde Amendment and other abortion coverage bans. An enormous thank you to @rosadelauro and @RepBarbaraLee for their leadership to #BeBoldEndHyde!”
“I was a staffer on the Hill when Henry Hyde passed his racist & discriminatory policy designed to restrict abortion access for low-income people & people of color,” Rep. Barbara Lee tweeted. “Today, we passed the first spending bill without it in decades—a major step in our flight to #BeBoldEndHyde.”
Planned Parenthood also got in on the action, with president Alexis McGill Johnson writing on Twitter, “Today is an enormous victory for patients, health care providers, and advocates who’ve been fighting for decades to eliminate federal abortion coverage bans. Let’s keep going!! #BeBoldEndHyde.”
Removing the Hyde Amendment has been the dream of pro-abortion activists and some politicians for years, but it has nothing to do with helping women. Despite statements that the policy was discriminatory, removing the Hyde Amendment damages the country and ignores the conscience objections of millions of Americans across the country.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, New York, wrote on Twitter, “Here are the FACTS: For more than 40 years, the Hyde Amendment has ensured that Americans are not forced to pay for abortion-on-demand with their tax dollar. It has saved nearly 2.5 MILLION lives. #HydeSavesLives.”
Rep. Cathy McMorris of Washington, said on the House floor, “With technology today, we can look into the womb and watch the development of a baby day by day. Docs are able to administer life-saving care to babies before they are born…Our laws should reflect the science and the truth.”
The failure to include the Hyde Amendment will damage preborn babies, women, men and families across the country. It’s the government-sanctioned killing of preborn babies, and is a sad reflection of how radical some politicians have become on the issue of abortion.
Pray that this appropriations bill will not pass the Senate, and that the Hyde Amendment will once again be reinstated.