Tomorrow's Crucial Vote: H.R. 3 – No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act

Tomorrow, May 4th, the House of Representatives will vote on a crucially important bill authored by pro-life heroes Reps. Chris Smith and Dan Lipinski.

This legislation, titled the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, would codify the Hyde Amendment and ensure that no federal funds are applied toward abortions ever again. This would ensure that ObamaCare does not fund abortions and that conscience protections are provided for those morally opposed to abortion.

The bill’s official designation, H.R. 3, reflects the importance that the new pro-life House leadership placed on the bill. It was the third bill written and introduced in the new Congress, and it has 227 cosponsors — a clear majority.

As author Chris Smith said:

“For decades, a patchwork of short-term policies have prevented abortion funding in many programs authorized by Congress, but it is time for a single, government-wide permanent protection against taxpayer funding for elective abortion…..Abortion is lethal violence against children and exploitation of women. This legislation would establish a comprehensive policy prohibiting public funding for elective abortion in all federal programs.”

Fellow sponsor Rep. Dan Lipinski added:

“The health care bill made it clear that the current way we prevent taxpayer funding of abortion through annual riders is dangerously fragile….To guarantee that taxpayers are never forced to pay for abortions and the innocent unborn are protected, we must make the longstanding ban on federal funding for abortion permanent and government-wide. Protecting the sanctity of life, and preserving the individual’s freedom not to be complicit in any way in abortion, is a matter of principle for me and tens of millions of Americans.”

Outlined below are the major aspects of H.R. 3:

  • Hyde Amendment: prohibits funding for elective abortion coverage through any program funded through the annual Labor, Health, and Human Services Appropriations Act.
  • Helms Amendment: prohibits funding for abortion as a method of family planning overseas.
  • Smith FEHBP Amendment: prohibits funding for elective abortion coverage for federal employees.
  • Dornan Amendment: prohibits use of congressionally appropriated funds for abortion in the District of Columbia
  • Hyde/Weldon Amendment: ensures that recipients of federal funding do not discriminate against health care providers, including doctors, nurses and hospitals, because the providers do not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer abortions.

As you can see, this is major pro-life legislation that must pass the House.

I encourage you to please call and email your Representative and urge them to get the American taxpayers out of the abortion business. Encourage them to speak out on the floor and urge their colleagues to do the same. We especially need the support of our pro-life women who together we helped send to D.C.!

Hoepfully tomorrow we will be celebrating a major pro-life victory in the House…keep the pressure on!

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