A massive spending deal needed to avert a government shutdown includes an amendment barring the use of federal funds for abortion procedures, despite calls from the Democratic majority to eliminate the policy.
The omnibus bill unveiled overnight by Democrats includes the Hyde Amendment, a federal policy named for the late GOP Rep. Henry Hyde of Illinois that prohibits the use of taxpayer funds to pay for elective abortion procedures. The policy was enacted in 1976, three years after the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion nationwide. The provision is not permanent law but has been enacted on an annual basis in various pieces of legislation by both Republicans and Democrats.
LAWMAKERS NEAR DEAL ON CATCH-ALL SPENDING BILL TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
To reach a deal on spending legislation and avert a government shutdown, Republicans and Democrats agreed to leave some more controversial measures for debate at a later time.
In the 1990s, exceptions to the Hyde Amendment were added for cases involving rape, incest, or a risk to the mother’s life. Because the amendment is not permanent law, it must be attached to individual appropriations bills each year to take effect. Supporters of the policy argue it protects the conscience rights of anti-abortion taxpayers who don’t want to contribute to the funding of abortion procedures, while opponents argue the amendment restricts low-income women from a legal procedure.
Progressive activists have increased calls to end the policy. President Joe Biden supported the policy during his time in the Senate but reversed his long-standing position during his presidential campaign, calling for its end.
Republicans celebrated the amendment’s inclusion in the bill.
The Hyde Amendment that protects taxpayers from being forced to fund abortions has been restored.
— Rep. Don Bacon ???? (@RepDonBacon) March 9, 2022
Abortion rights groups criticized the Hyde Amendment’s inclusion in the bill, alluding to a possible Supreme Court decision expected this summer that may revise or scale back Roe.
“We are confident that soon a majority of lawmakers will understand the impact of denying abortion coverage, especially for people of color working to make ends meet,” said Morgan Hopkins, interim executive director of campaigns and strategies for All* Above All, in a statement.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
In a Wednesday Dear Colleague letter, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not address the Hyde amendment’s inclusion in the bill. But the California Democrat said lawmakers in her party should take “great pride that, today, the House will vote on a historic, bipartisan government funding bill that delivers For The People.”
“This legislation will strengthen our national security, bolster our economic prosperity and advance our shared democratic values — and it will follow through on America’s commitment to the people of Ukraine,” Pelosi wrote.
