“Congress should never allow the money of hardworking taxpayers to be used to end the lives of unborn children."
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Texas Insider Report) — “Democrats just voted to allow taxpayer-funding of abortions and force health workers to participate. For 44 years both parties have agreed the Hyde Amendment is the 'Law of the Land,' but today the Democrat Party has shown just how radical they've become,” said House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy after Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee defeated the long-agreed to Hyde Amendment, which for 44 years has prohibited the use of U.S. taxpayer's dollars to go toward the funding of abortions.
The vote was 27-32, with only one Democrat – Cong. Henry Cuellar of Texas – joining Republicans to support the pro-life measure.
The Hyde Amendment prohibits taxpayer funding for most abortions in Medicaid and other federal programs, and is credited with saving approximately 2.4 million babies’ lives. Polls over the years gave consistently show strong public support for the amendment – named for former Cong. Henry Hyde of Illinois, who first offered the amemndment in the late 1970s.
For decades, most Republican and Democrat lawmakers supported the amendment as a regular part of the federal budget, but now that the Democrat Party and its leaders have been racing toward the self-proclaimed "Socialist-Democrat" left, House budget writers under the direction of Speaker Nancy Pelosi have abandoned the public on the issue and sided with the billion-dollar abortion industry to tap into taxpayer-funding for abortions.Pro-life leaders slammed House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (right, D-CT,) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA,) and President Joe Biden for championing the pro-abortion effort.
“Congress should never allow the money of hardworking taxpayers to be used to end the lives of unborn children.
"We should continue to protect unborn children and keep the Hyde Amendment,” said Michigan Congressman John Moolenaar, slamming Democrats for reversing the decades-long practice – which if passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Biden – would allow hardworking taxpayers to pay for something as abhorrent as killing a child.
During a lengthy debate before the vote, Republican lawmakers urged Democrats to support mothers and babies, not abortions.
“I rise today in support of the unborn… in support of women and girls yet to be born into this world who deserve every single opportunity those of us in this room can give them,” U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, said.
"We should continue to protect unborn children and keep the Hyde Amendment,” said Michigan Congressman John Moolenaar, slamming Democrats for reversing the decades-long practice – which if passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Biden – would allow hardworking taxpayers to pay for something as abhorrent as killing a child.
During a lengthy debate before the vote, Republican lawmakers urged Democrats to support mothers and babies, not abortions.
“I rise today in support of the unborn… in support of women and girls yet to be born into this world who deserve every single opportunity those of us in this room can give them,” U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, said.
Congressman Tom Cole (R-OK,) led the Republican's effort during the Thursday House Appropriations Committee hearing, calling for the Hyde Amendment to be restored. Cole introduced a measure to add the Hyde Amendment to federal spending bills and “protect the lives of unborn babies and the conscience rights of Americans.”
He and other Republicans pointed to polling which consistently shows that a strong majority of Americans oppose taxpayer funding for abortions, including for low-income women whom Democrats claim to want to help.
A recent Marist poll found that:
- 77% of Americans oppose using U.S. taxpayer's dollars to promote abortion overseas, and
- 58% oppose using taxpayer money to fund abortions in the United States
- Voters who make $25,000 or less were strongly against it (76% against.)
- 45% of Voters who make over $75,000 support forcing taxpayers to fund abortions.
After decades of consistently supporting the Hyde Amendment during his tenure as a Senator from Delaware, now-President Joe Biden reversed his long-standing position during the 2020 Democrat Primary Election in order to appeal to the party's far-left, and now dominant wing in order to compete with candidates such as Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.Biden also recently reversed previous government policy in his proposed 2022 budget, which would also force U.S. taxpayer's dollars to pay for abortions.
Pro-life leaders slammed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Joe Biden for championing the pro-abortion effort.
“Biden-Pelosi Democrats had the chance to foster unity by preserving the Hyde Amendment and other longstanding, popular policies that protect unborn babies and mothers,” said Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser.
“Instead, they shamefully doubled down on extremism, throwing out decades of bipartisan consensus.”
“Instead, they shamefully doubled down on extremism, throwing out decades of bipartisan consensus.”
Democrats for Life praised Cuellar for his vote Thursday.
“Although the vote failed, Rep. Cuellar went against his entire party and did the right thing, Thank you!” the organization posted on Twitter.
A small number of Democrat lawmakers – including U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia – are also standing up for life, promising to go against the Democrat party line to support the Hyde Amendment.
Dannenfelser expressed hope that the pro-abortion spending bills will not pass the U.S. Senate.
“This bill is far too extreme to pass the Senate, where Sen. Joe Manchin has promised to support Hyde ‘in every way possible.
“Pro-abortion Democrats are now pushing taxpayer-funded abortion on demand (all the way up to and) through birth – at their own political peril,’” Dannenfelser said.
“Pro-abortion Democrats are now pushing taxpayer-funded abortion on demand (all the way up to and) through birth – at their own political peril,’” Dannenfelser said.
Along with the Hyde Amendment, Dannenfelser said Democrats also removed federal anti-discrimination protections for pro-life health care workers and institutions in their new federal spending bills.
Since 1976, the Hyde Amendment has saved an estimated 2.4 million babies’ lives, including about 60,000 each year according to the Charlotte Lozier Institute.
