submitted by Anna-Marie Visser, Director of Communication/Education, RTL.org
The Hyde Amendment has been a part of the federal budget since 1976 and has helped save the lives of millions while protecting the conscience rights of taxpayers. The amendment ensures that Americans are not being forced to pay for other people’s abortions with their own tax dollars. Since this amendment was passed, 2,409,311 lives have been saved nationwide. Michigan created their own ban on tax funded abortions and within the first year, abortions decreased 22%.
With overwhelming bipartisan support, the Hyde Amendment has protected American taxpayers for 45 years. The amendment has been successful through the support of past presidents such as Obama and Clinton. Within this last month of July, President Biden and pro-abortion leaders have sought to threaten the long-standing amendment by failing to include it in the federal budget proposals.
On July 29, U.S. House of Representatives voted 219-208 in a preliminary vote to exclude the Hyde Amendment from the federal budget. This means that pro-abortion leaders and officials are one step closer to forcing taxpayers—you—to pay for other people’s abortions. The vote included multiple prolife appropriation amendments like the Weldon Amendment, the Smith Amendment, and Dornan Amendment.
The Weldon Amendment protects health care providers who don’t want to be involved with or aid in abortions from being discriminated against by agencies that receive federal funding.
The Smith Amendment is another important amendment to take note of being excluded from the budget. This amendment ensures that no funding from the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program is used towards abortions.
The Dornan Amendment prohibits any appropriated funds from the District of Colombia from being used towards abortions. This amendment was also removed from the budget.
Republicans in the U.S. House tried to fight the removal of these essential prolife amendments but failed in another vote of 208-217. Speaker Nancy Pelosi also blocked them from making the Hyde Amendment federal law.
House Representatives are currently on summer recess after this disappointing session, and the U.S. Senate will soon vote on the appropriation packages. There are indications that the Senate may be more willing to listen to the voice of their constituents. A majority of senators have promised to support the Hyde Amendment.
Now more than ever, it is crucial that citizens contact Congress as soon as possible to ensure that they know that a supermajority of people don’t want to pay for other people’s abortions.