Sen. Joe Manchin has another condition his party must meet if he’s going to support its reconciliation proposal: It must include the Hyde Amendment.
The Hyde Amendment is a legal measure that prohibits the federal government from using taxpayer dollars through programs such as Medicaid to fund abortion, and it’s been a target for Democrats who want to expand abortion access. Manchin, however, understands the law’s importance and insisted that it must be included in any reconciliation proposal Democrats want him to vote for.
Here’s what he told National Review on Wednesday:
Manchin: Certainly —
NR: — with this new Medicaid program?
Manchin: Yeah, we’re not taking the Hyde amendment off. Hyde’s going to be on.
National Review: In the new Medicaid program?
Manchin: It has to be. It has to be. That’s dead on arrival if that’s gone.
Manchin might not be personally pro-life, but he certainly represents a lot of people who are. And even among those who are not pro-life, opposition to the federal funding of abortion remains high. Year after year, polls show that a majority of the public strongly opposes using taxpayer dollars to subsidize abortions. The questions vary, but the response is almost always the same, even among Democratic respondents: Voters want to keep the Hyde Amendment intact.
It’s a wonder, then, that Manchin is one of the only Democrats willing to defend it. Leftists like to say Manchin is out of touch with the party and its base. But on this issue, and so many others, he’s keeping Democrats tethered to reality.
