Beto O’Rourke said that every single session of Congress he has voted to repeal the Hyde Amendment, even though he voted in favor of 2018 legislation that included the Hyde Amendment.
“I can just tell you that I’ve always known what I’ve thought on this issue. That every single woman in this country should be able to make her own decisions about her own body,” the former Texas representative said in an interview Sunday with ABC.
“Every single session in the United States Congress I voted to repeal the Hyde Amendment. I co-sponsored legislation to do the same,” the Democrat said about the amendment which makes it illegal for federal money to be used to fund abortions.
O’Rourke made his claim after he voted in June and September to pass government funding bills which contained the Hyde Amendment.
O’Rourke was joined by many of his fellow presidential contenders in voting in favor of the Hyde Amendment, including Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif.; Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.; Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.; Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., voted against that particular bill, but has voted for the Hyde Amendment when attached to other bills.
“Well, look, sometimes in a large bill you have to vote for things you don’t like,” Sanders said in defense of his votes. “But I think my record as being literally 100% pro-choice is absolutely correct.”
After Joe Biden changed his position last week, every 2020 Democratic presidential candidate has come out in support of repealing the Hyde Amendment.
O’Rourke is currently polling at sixth place in the Democratic primary race at 3.8%, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.
