Republicans working on Obamacare repeal and replace say they’re committed to ensuring taxpayer dollars don’t go to heath plans covering abortion, but admit they’re unsure how to do it.
Rep. Diane Black, acting chairwoman of the House Budget Committee, and other members acknowledge that under Senate rules they can’t insert the ban into the budget reconciliation bill being used to repeal much of the law. Yet they insist they’re committed to including it, under heavy pressure from anti-abortion groups.
“That is our plan,” the Tennessee Republican told the Washington Examiner on Thursday.
The issue sparked a major fight when the Affordable Care Act was being passed. Republicans said that because federally subsidized marketplace plans are allowed to cover abortion, taxpayer dollars are going toward the controversial procedure. They weren’t satisfied by a compromise from Democrats that said insurers had to pay for abortions only with the dollars of beneficiaries and not the government.
Now Republicans are in a quandary, as anti-abortion groups say they would oppose an Obamacare replacement without an explicit ban on abortion coverage, even if it achieves one of their top priorities of defunding Planned Parenthood.
Members said they’re working on a solution, but wouldn’t detail what that might look like.
“I don’t have details for you on that yet and so I’m not going to get out over my skis,” Black said. “We are working on that issue and we’ll let you know as soon as we have something more definitive.”
Abortion foes want a provision known as the Hyde Amendment included in the bill, which prohibits government funds from being used for abortions except in certain special cases.
Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., said lawmakers have some “ideas.”
“I’m just saying a solution is being worked on and hopefully it will work,” she said.
Ann Wagner, another Missouri Republican, said Hyde can’t be included in the Obamacare repeal bill, but said she is confident it will have a place in a replacement bill, even though Republicans are now trying to do repeal and replace at once.
“We are committed to having Hyde protections in the overall replacement of Obamacare,” Wagner said.
The topic is a charged one, as the provision Republicans want would essentially ban plans sold on the Obamacare marketplaces from covering abortion services, if they’re purchased using income-based subsidies. Millions of low-income Americans rely on the subsidies to be able to afford their monthly premiums and cost-sharing.
