FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 30, 2021
Contact: Prudence Robertson, [email protected], 240-672-2828
Longstanding, Bipartisan Hyde Amendment & Similar Policy Riders Prevent Taxpayer-Funded Abortion on Demand
Washington, D.C. – Last night U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) declared to National Review reporter John McCormack that any reconciliation bill that excludes the Hyde Amendment will be “dead on arrival” in the Senate.
The national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) cheered the promise:
“We thank Senator Manchin for committing to stop taxpayer funding of abortion in the reconciliation bill,” said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “There has long been consensus among the American people – regardless of party – that taxpayers should never be forced to pay for abortions. We praise Senator Manchin for standing up for this consensus and for the pro-life values of his West Virginia constituents.”
Earlier this month, SBA List launched a six-figure campaign thanking Senator Manchin for his previously stated opposition to taxpayer funding for abortion on demand. The ongoing campaign includes digital ads, radio, constituent phone calls, and billboards in West Virginia.
Under budget reconciliation, it is possible to fund programs that bypass the Hyde family of amendments, which stop taxpayer funding of abortion on demand. Reconciliation bills require just a simple majority for passage in both the House and Senate. Anti-life provisions in the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill include:
- Creation of a new abortion coverage mandate for 2024 ACA plans that cover individuals or families under 138% of the federal poverty level, but are not eligible for Medicaid.
- Creation of a new program directed toward the 12 states that have not opted to expand Medicaid and that do not use state funds to pay for abortion. Unlike Medicaid, the program is structured so that it is not subject to the Hyde Amendment.
- Additional public health funding streams that are not covered by the Hyde Amendment.
Earlier this year the Pelosi-led House of Representatives passed a federal budget for FY22 that, for the first time in decades, did not include the Hyde Amendment and similar riders. Over the past four decades, the Hyde Amendment has saved over 2.4 million lives. SBA List launched a six-figure digital ad campaign exposing the pro-abortion extremism of Democrats for their opposition to Hyde. The campaign targets Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), as well as vulnerable House Democrats up for re-election next year in competitive districts.
SBA List is a network of 900,000 pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders.
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