House Ways and Means Committee Passes H.R. 1232
Texas Insider Report: Washington DC -- Today the Committee on Ways and Means passed legislation H.R. 1232 that eliminates certain tax subsidies relating to abortion.
Like the overwhelming majority of Americans I strongly oppose taxpayer funding of abortions. There have been restrictions on abortion subsidies for over 30 years beginning with the Hyde Amendment in 1976. I am proud that today we are acting in that spirit to stop tax subsidies from being used to pay for abortions" said U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee.
H.R. 1232 disallows certain tax expenditures for abortion-related costs. Specifically H.R. 1232 would:
- Disallow premium tax credits created by the 2010 health care law for subsidizing the premiums of health insurance plans offered in the government-run exchanges that offer abortion coverage.
- Disallow small business tax credits also created by the 2010 health care law for a very small subset of small businesses purchasing for employees health insurance plans that offer abortion coverage.
- Include in gross income any amounts used for abortion that are distributed from Archer Medical Savings Accounts Health Savings Accounts and Health Flexible Spending Arrangements (FSAs).
- Remove abortion-related expenses from the calculation of the itemized deduction for medical expenses exceeding 7.5 (10 after 2012) of adjusted gross income.
- Abortion costs in cases of rape or incest or where necessary to protect the life of the mother as wells as costs incurred to treat complications caused or exacerbated by having an abortion are exempted from the bills provisions.
Todays action follows a March 16 2011 hearing of the Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures on H.R. 3 the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act which passed the Committee on the Judiciary on March 3 2011. H.R. 1232 is intended to serve as a modification of H.R. 3s tax provisions. Congressman Brady is a cosponsor of H.R. 3.
